Francis Brunn, circus juggler

BERLIN -- Renowned juggler Francis Brunn, a gymnast and showman who mesmerized circus audiences for more than 50 years, has died. He was 81.

Mr. Brunn died May 28 at a Frankfurt hospital where he had been in intensive care for 10 weeks following heart surgery, according to CircusWeb.de, a German industry-related website. Born near Frankfurt in 1922, Mr. Brunn performed his act in Europe with his sister Lotte from 1939 to 1948, when he was invited to join Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus in the United States.