There is still a tradition of very small family-owned travelling circuses in parts of Germany, where tents seat about 40-50 people, and all acts are performed by circus family members. I wondered who the performers were and what there origin was. They definitely spoke good German, but the circus names don't seem 100% Germanic. At one I attended 3 or 4 years ago, the ringmaster threw daggers at volunteer spectators, missing them and pegging a wooden board behind them. Are the owner/operators Yenish?

If anyone knows more about this tradition, I would be keen to know.