German family of marionettists considered the oldest still active in Germany today. Its members have been string puppet performers for six to eight generations. The actor Johann Bernhard Bille (1748-1822) was the founder of the dynasty. Today, the Billes are related, directly or by marriage, to almost all families of puppeteers in central Germany.

(See Germany.)

Bibliography

  • Bille, Kurt. Chronik der Marionettenspieler aus Sachsen mit geschichtlichem Überblick [Chronicle of the Marionettists from Saxony. With a Historical Overview]. Hameln, 1994.