Signor Saltarino

Born Hermann Waldemar Otto in Hohenstein on April 14, 1863, he later wrote mostly as Signor Saltarino. Before settling into journalism, he left a commercial apprenticeship, traveled widely from 1879 onward, joined a comedy troupe in Bohemia, and then performed as an equestrian artist with traveling circuses in Germany and across eastern and southeastern Europe.

That background gave his writing unusual immediacy. He worked for the magazine Der Artist in Düsseldorf and eventually became its chief editor, while also publishing novellas, novels, and especially books about entertainers and circus life. He is particularly remembered for his Artisten-Lexikon, a reference work on riders, tamers, gymnasts, clowns, acrobats, and other performers.

Otto also spent years trying to revive mining near his hometown after local operations declined, adding an unexpected chapter to an already varied life. He died in Düsseldorf on January 11, 1941, and, according to the biographical record, his urn was later taken to Hohenstein-Ernstthal for burial.