particularly those organized in Germany in the 1930s , showed a growing interest in events that would bring together magicians from all over the world .
These pre-FISM German congresses , organized by the Magischer Zirkel , had several characteristics that made them like a true " Olympics of Magicians ." The 1936 International Magic Congress in Munich , for example , was officially advertised as " Die Olympiade der Zauberer " ( The Magicians ' Olympics ). This event , along with the subsequent congresses in Berlin ( 1937 ) and Frankfurt ( 1938 ), incorporated many elements that would later be adopted by the FISM .
In 1937 , during a meeting of the “ Association Syndicale des Artistes Prestidigitateurs ” ( ASAP ) in Paris , the Vice President Dr . Jules Dhotel proposed the creation of an International Magic Congress , with planned editions in Paris ( 1939 ), Tokyo ( 1940 ), and another capital in 1941 . The goal was to institutionalize collaboration among magicians , ensuring regular events without a fixed leadership . However , the outbreak of World War II in 1939 prevented the realization of this project . founded , with the approval of its statutes .
The birth of the FISM was not without difficulties . Among the various obstacles to overcome was also a misunderstanding with the IBM ( International Brotherhood of Magicians ).
The FISM differed from the IBM , which gathered individual magicians of various nationalities , because FISM was a federation of Magic Clubs . This aspect was not clear from the beginning , and some IBM members feared that a rival federation was emerging .
To avoid tensions , Jules Dhotel , then president of ASAP , supported the creation of Ring IBM 69 in Paris on April 9 , 1948 , with the goal of obtaining IBM ’ s backing for the foundation of FISM in Lausanne . His strategy was successful , and in 1948 , in the Journal de la Prestidigitation , he wrote :
After the conflict , however , the magic community began to reorganize .
In 1946 , an international magic congress was held in Amsterdam , bringing together 300 illusionists from various countries . The following year , in 1947 , another congress was held in Paris , with 18 participating nations and 500 registered attendees . Here , the idea of an official federation to coordinate congresses , which were supposed to have an annual frequency , began to take shape .
Thus , on September 5 , 1948 , with the participation of 50 magic clubs , the FISM was officially
Eric Eswin
14 SPECIAL | 2025