THE TIME IS 5 TO MIDNIGHT FOR THE GERMAN REX
all pictures from Dr Rose Scheuer-Karpins archive
"The time is 5 to midnight" was initially written by Uschi Schwarzenbach
from Switzerland, who is a living "German Rex database". The
only genuine European cat breed is close to dying out.
A FIFe judge said once: "I thought until recently that the German
Rex is just a relict".
It is estimated that there are just 15 curly German Rexes globally (*
aprox 50 cats 2005) - in Germany, Switzerland and Finland, and
possible some cats in the Eastern block countries. According to Ms Schwarzenbach
85 % of the cats are closely related to each other. Thus the population
is not enough for the revival of the breed.
Tri Rose Scheuer-Karpin, the developer of German Rex
HISTORY IN NUTSHELL
The first photographed German Rex, Kater Munk, had one or two brothers.
Munk was born in Königsberg, East Prussia (now Kaliningrad area)
in the late 1920's. It is said that parents were a Russian Blue and an
Angora. But what were the Russian Blue and the Angora in those days? Munk
could go out freely as he pleased. He also had a brother or two which
surely had off-springs in the region.
At least one curly cat was taken in the 1940's from Königsberg to
Berlin, where it could roam freely. The most European German Rexes were
left behind the Iron Curtain after the WW 2. In those days there must
have been other priorities that breeding cats. One might wonder, how the
cats survived the air raids that destroyed completely many big German
cities. Millions of people lost their lives, some cats made it. After
any available cats were used for keeping the breed alive
Doctor Rose Scheuer-Karpin worked at the Hufeland hospital in Berlin Buch.
She started breeding of German Rex in early 1950's with Lämmchen,
from whom all present German Rexes descent. Dr Scheuer-Karpin took in
1951 into custody the cat that had for several years roamed freely on
the hospital grounds. A male nurse that had worked at the same hospital
brought a curly with him from Königsberg.
Lämmchen with kittens
However, Lämmchen was not the only curly cat found in Germany. The
black & white Preuss (Puschkin) was born in 1960 in West-Germany at
a stable near Köln. Then there was the black Schnurzel that Dr Scheuer-Karpin
picked up from a local coal merchant. All these 3 cats are forebears of
the present German Rexes
In other words the history of German Rex began at least 20 years before
the first Cornish Rex was born.
EXPORTS
The German Rex Kristofo Kolombo was exported in the early 1950's to the
United States. This was really big news. The arrival was documented even
with TV cameras, so there is no doubt about it. All in all 11 German Rexes
were exported to USA, some of them hybrids. Their off-springs were cross-bred
with other cats and later sent back to Europe as Cornish Rexes.
Christopher Columbus
Dr Scheuer-Karpin sent two rexes, a female and a male, to professor Etienne
Letard in Paris. The cabin attendant, however, forgot to hand over the
carrier with the kittens to the professor waiting for them at the Paris
airport. The kittens were finally found in Warsaw. From there they were
flown via Switzerland to Paris. The feet of the female had been badly
damaged by cold during the flights, and she died. The male kitten survived
the ordeal. His name was Cäsar (Dr Scheuer-Karpin named all kittens
after Shakespeare's characters). What happened to Cäsar? Letard decided
to call him Marco Polo. He was shown to public in Paris in October 1960.
The cat was such a sensation that people attending the cat show queued
to see him. Being friendly and clever, Marco Polo became Letard's favourite
cat. According to Dr Scheuer-Karpin professor Letard started a systematic
breeding programme, using inbreeding only in every 2nd or 3rd generation.
But what happened to the cats that were born? One can find the answer
by studying the history of the Cornish Rex. There it is said that at least
Marco Polo was used for breeding purposes. There are nowadays probably
no German Rexes in France.
It is assumed that Dr Scheuer-Karpin sent to 2 German Rexes to England,
but according to the information available they died in quarantine.
EARLY BREEDERS
Dr Scheuer-Karpin laid the basis for the breed through her genetic studies
and experiments. The first actual breeders were the east german family
Barensfeld who had the prefix vom Grund. Barensfeld sent the first German
Rexes to Inge Wöllner in West Germany (prefix von Zeitz). Other east
german breeders were family Hamann (Hause Hamann), Willy Kania (vom Jagdrain)
and E. Koss (vom Rotstein).
In West Germany there were Anneliese Hackman (von Assindia) and Rudi Glück
(vom Glücksanger, later vom Glücksklee). The early breeders
had no uniform idea as to which other breeds should be used for maintaining
German Rex, and thus all available cats were used both in the west and
in the east. Experiments were carried out with both Cornish Rex and Devon
Rex, until it became obvious that these breeds were genetically different.
On the other hand German Rex was used when developing the Cornish Rex.
FIFe experts faced thus a problem in 1982, when the German Rex should
be approved. Two different types were presented; one with a straight "Roman"
profile, and one with a clear curve in the nose line. The breeder of the
latter type was a more effective lobbyist, and thus the breed standard
was based on the latter type.
TIME SOON OUT?
There are today some German Rex breeders in Germany, two in Switzerland
and one in Finland. All breeders are working towards a common goal. But
can they hold out, will the breed have a new change?
The German and Swiss breeders have started widening the gene pool through
hybrid breeding. A non-german shorthair cat will be used at most in every
2nd generation. Instead of randomly picking cats, the breeders are using
the domestic cat which was the cats' natural choice in the early days
of the German Rex. The continental breeders are planning to use the European
shorthair cat.
It is said occasionally that the German Rex is something in between the
Cornish Rex and the Devon Rex. This misunderstanding may result from 2
cats, Annelida Pearly Kind and Kernow Lur. They were registered as Devon
Rexes, but they have a colourful mixture of forebears; Annelida has the
first Cornish Rex Kallibunker in her background. In some sources these
cats are called double rexes. Annelida Pearly King and Kernow Lur are,
however, just two cats among the others. Cornish Rex has only been used
infrequently, and in the future this breed will only be used for improving
the German Rex coat. The German Rex is based on the curly cats discovered
in Germany.
German Rex is more original, genuine European breed than the Cornish Rex.
The German Rex does not require imported blood from America, but the breed
does need non-German Rex blood to be able to survive.
With the kind permission of Hannele Toiskallio & Ismo Leppänen,
this information in shared with us all and let us all hope that the German
Rex grow and increase in numbers, over the world.
* webmasters note, on behalf of info from Hannele Toiskallio
Sources: Archive of Dr R. Scheuer-Karpin, article by I & S Wöllner
(1981), information given by U. Schwarzenbach, P.Hein and I. Jänicke,
pedigrees of early German Rexes
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