10 facts about magic

Every famous magicians have their own secrets hidden in a hat or up their sleeves. But it's a long way towards creating that perfect illusion. It requires a solid technique, a high degree of dexterity and organisational skills. Welcome to the mysterious world of magic!

Germany's biggest association of magicians, counting 2,800 members, keeps a watch over the standards and rules of the profession. If you want to join it, you first need to pass an entrance examination in one of its 80 local circles. Every three years, the association holds the German Championship in Magic. And every year, its members select the Magician of the Year.

Unexplained tricks belong to the world of magic. Should magicians reveal their secrets, they wouldn't be as fascinating - and would lose their livelihood. Members of the Magic Circle of Germany pledge they will never reveal the secrets behind their tricks.

Spells are assumed to have magical powers. They can be found in the oldest documents of literature, such as the spells of Merseburg, dating back to the eighth century. The spell "Abracadabra," for instance, has been known since the third century. It was believed to ward off misfortune and disease while summoning benevolent spirits.

The Ehrlich Brothers, alias Andreas and Christian Reinelt, are the pop stars of the German magical scene. A total of 38,503 viewers watched their show in the Frankfurt soccer stadium in the summer of 2016. That was a world record. The brothers are among Germany's most popular magicians, and have been nominated Magicians of the Year three times.

This is one of the most famous illusions. It was presented for the first time in 1921 in the US. A person, traditionally a female assistant, is put into a box which is then cut into two parts before the person comes back out of it - unscathed. Magicians all over the world continue to present this classic in new versions, such as this one from 1994.

Even it's all an illusion, several accidents have occurred on stage, especially for escape artists. Several magicians have even died attempting to catch pistol cartridges. Magic can be dangerous.

Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn, known as Siegfried & Roy, have achieved world fame with their performances with lions and white tigers during the 1990s. To this day, their show in Las Vegas is considered the world's most costly and elaborate show on stage. In 2003, Roy Horn was heavily injured by one of his tigers. The duo subsequently ended their career.

Whether magicians, sorcerers, wizards or magical artists define themselves as they please. Illusionists usually work with different props. Outside stage magic, these terms may refer to the possession of supernatural powers.

There are magicians all over the world organized in various associations. The biggest one is the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques, in short FISM, counting roughly 60,000 members from 55 countries. Once every three years, the federation organizes a world championship during which magicians from all over the world are competing with each other in various categories.

Although there are no official training courses for magicians, wizards and sorcerers, there are schools offering a basic training in magic. At times, illusionists pass on their tricks to young magicians during seminars and congresses. Some even sell their self-invented tricks in specialized stores. But beginners still have to teach themselves. The only thing that helps is a lot of exercise.