Mastering Entertainment. Travelling Showpeople in Upper Austria from the Nineteenth Century to the Present

The article provides insight into the as yet not consistently documented history of travelling showpeople (owners of funfair rides which are operated by them at temporary fairs) in Upper Austria from the end of the nineteenth century to the present. Its focus is on three aspects: (1) the interrelation between technological developments and the popular entertainment medium that is the fairground, which is reflected in its technical equipment and aesthetic manifestations, and (2) the economic conditions to which travelling showpeople are subject. It is also going to discuss the question of how travelling, the movement that determines this profession, shapes the biographies and life concepts of travelling showpeople. (3) a reflection on the transformation of their trade taking one of their ancestors, Johannes Meyerott (1840–1909), as a point of reference.