Jakob Nacken

Jakob Hudson Nacken or Jacob Nacken (February 15, 1906 – March 29, 1987) was a German circus performer active in Europe and the United States. He began his career as an exceptionally tall person while a teenager, performing in a traveling circus, and appeared in the 1939 New York World's Fair. Nacken was the tallest soldier in the German Army during World War II at a height of seven feet three inches (2.21 m). He was employed as a giant Santa Claus and appeared on American television as a figure of high stature and in freak shows as the World's Tallest Man.

Jakob Nacken
Ripley's Odditorium 1935
BornFebruary 15, 1906
Düsseldorf, Rhenish Prussia, Germany
DiedMarch 29, 1987 (age 81)
Europe
NationalityGerman
Other names
  • "Uranus"
  • World's Tallest Man
  • Giant from Rhineland
Occupation
  • sideshow artist
  • circus performer
Height7 ft 3 in (221 cm)
Spouse(s)Maria

Early life

Nacken was born in Düsseldorf, Germany, on February 15, 1906.[1] Both his parents were six feet two inches (1.88 m). His sister Josephine was six feet two inches (1.88 m) tall; his two-years-younger brother Wilhelm grew to be six feet two inches (1.88 m) tall; his other brother, who was eight years older than Nacken, became six feet seven inches (2.01 m).[2]

Mid-life and career

Nacken began his career in show business performing as "Uranus" and the "giant from the Rhineland" in a German traveling circus. He was called Germany's tallest man[3][4] and was credited as being the world's tallest man at the time.[5][6] Nacken wore size 17 boots as an adult.[7] He had bruises on his head from hitting the tops of doorways that were built to accommodate people of normal height.[8]

He appeared at Luna Park, an amusement park in Paris, in 1922. Nacken was internationally known for his height of seven feet three inches (2.21 m) and earned an engagement at the 1939 New York World's Fair.[9]

He returned to Germany at the beginning of World War II and was immediately drafted into the army, becoming their tallest soldier on record.[10][11][12] Nacken was put into a gun crew with 250 soldiers who were captured at Calais, France, in August 1944.[13][14] Canadian Corporal Eldon "Bob" Roberts (5 feet 3 inches (1.60 m)), who commanded a troop of seven men, captured the gun crew.[15] Nacken and his men were taken to England as prisoners of war and remained there until the end of the war.[15][7]

In August 1949, newspapers announced Nacken was to return to the United States because he wanted to leave post-war Germany.[16] Nacken's sister, who already lived in the United States, prepared a place for him and his wife to live in Paterson, New Jersey.[17] Nacken and his wife emigrated to the United States on SS Atlantic from Genoa, Italy,[1] arriving in the port of New York City December 6, 1950.[1][18]

Nacken sought work that would suit his stature. Through newspaper pictures and Pathé newsreels, he was well-known. During December 1949, he worked as Santa Claus.[19][20] Children were able to walk between his legs[21][22] and he was dubbed the world's tallest Santa.[23][24] Nacken worked in Ripley's Believe It or Not! shows as the "World's Tallest Man".[25] He appeared on several television shows as a celebrity known as "Germany's Long Jake".[26]

Personal life

On August 10, 1927, Nacken married Maria from Kematen an der Ybbs, Austria, in Brussels, Belgium.[1] She stood five feet eight inches (1.73 m) tall.[25]

He became a citizen of the United States on December 16, 1955.[24]

Later life and death

Nacken's last appearance as "World's Tallest Man" was in 1959 at Ripley's Odditorium on Broadway, New York City. He died in Europe at age 81.[27]

  • Jakob Nacken at age 16 in 1922
  • Nacken 17 as circus acrobat
    with a young boy assistant
  • Jakob Nacken 1924 at age 18
  • Nacken in German circus
    as "Uranus" at age 19
  • Jakob Nacken 21 years old Paris
  • Nacken captured at Calais, France
    in 1944 when he was 38 years old

See also

Footnotes
  1. "Looks Up To". The Morning Call. Paterson, New Jersey. February 17, 1950. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com .
  2. "Ridgewood Woman Recognizes Photo of Captive Brother". The Morning Call. Paterson, New Jersey. October 16, 1944. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com .
  3. "Germany's tallest man visits Oakland's littlest house!". Oakland Tribune. Oakland, California. October 18, 1951. p. 33 – via Newspapers.com .
  4. "Giant "Bouncer" Effective". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. August 12, 1929. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com .
  5. Candlewick 2018, p. 191.
  6. Yonke 2015, p. 19.
  7. "Easier To Stand Than Sleep Says King-Size Ex-Soldier". The Gazette. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. April 11, 1956. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com .
  8. "Where'd We Put The Binoculars?". York Daily Record. York, Pennsylvania. June 1, 1953. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com .
  9. "German Giant captured at Calais". The Daily News. Davenport, Iowa. October 4, 1944. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com .
  10. "Big or Small, They Fall". Daily Republican Register. Mount Carmel, Illinois. October 4, 1944. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com .
  11. "The Bigger They are x x x". Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. October 9, 1944. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com .
  12. "Amazing exploits of D-Day veteran Bob Roberts, the second man to set foot on Juno beach". Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  13. "Some Germans Come Tall". Austin American-Statesman. Austin, Texas. October 4, 1944. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com .
  14. "Pint-sized hero infantryman who frisked giant 7ft 3in German soldier on Juno beach on D-Day". Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  15. "Former circus giant Jakob Nacken identified as mystery Germany soldier". Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  16. "Famous European Giant to Become Resident Here". The News. Paterson, New Jersey. August 5, 1949. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com .
  17. "European Giant to Become Resident Here". The News. Paterson, New Jersey. August 5, 1949. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com .
  18. ""Jake" and Jills". The Muscatine Journal. Muscatine, Iowa. December 14, 1949. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com .
  19. "Santa's Tops". Visalia Times-Delta. Visalia, California. December 17, 1949. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com .
  20. "Old St. Nicholas Gets Around". Statesville Daily Record. Statesville, North Carolina. December 25, 1949. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com .
  21. "King-Size Santa". The Berkshire Eagle. Pittsfield, Massachusetts. December 8, 1949. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com .
  22. "Biggest Santa". Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Lancaster, Ohio. December 13, 1949. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com .
  23. "Santas Tops". The Chillicothe Constitution. Chillicothe, Missouri. December 23, 1949. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com .
  24. "'World's Tallest Santa' Looks To Uncle Sam For Christmas Gift". Public Opinion. Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. December 15, 1955. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com .
  25. "Out of Circus, Paterson Giant Seeks Employment". The News. Paterson, New Jersey. December 8, 1950. p. 40 – via Newspapers.com .
  26. ""Long Jake" to Arrive Today". The News. Paterson, New Jersey. December 6, 1949. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com .
  27. "Genis 6 Giants". Retrieved March 12, 2020.

Sources
  • Candlewick (2018). Voices from Second World War. Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763697737.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Yonke, David (2015). Lost Toledo. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 1625850980.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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