▁an ▁en larg ed ▁s ella ▁tur c ica . ▁He ▁was ▁re - ex am ined ▁in ▁Leipzig ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁meas uring ▁at ▁. ▁ ▁Career ▁Due ▁to ▁his ▁physical ▁a il ments , ▁Jó h ann ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁find ▁normal ▁employ ment ▁and ▁instead ▁tou red ▁Europe ' s ▁v au dev ille ▁the at res , ▁doing ▁so ▁until ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁He ▁was ▁in ▁C open hagen ▁during ▁the ▁German ▁invasion ▁of ▁Den mark ▁and ▁remained ▁there ▁until ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁working ▁in ▁a ▁ship yard . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁he ▁was ▁invited ▁to ▁move ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁by ▁the ▁Ring ling ▁B ros . ▁and ▁Bar num ▁& ▁Ba iley ▁Circ us . ▁The ▁tall est ▁I cel and ic ▁man ▁on ▁record , ▁his ▁home , ▁living ▁tra iler , ▁vehicles , ▁furn iture , ▁and ▁cl othing ▁were ▁all ▁custom - made . ▁ ▁During ▁his ▁career , ▁he ▁used ▁the ▁stage ▁name ▁" der ▁Nord ische ▁R iese ▁O la f " ▁(" the ▁Nord ic ▁Gi ant ▁O la f ") ▁in ▁Germany , ▁and ▁" the ▁I cel and ic ▁Gi ant " ▁or ▁" the ▁Vik ing ▁Gi ant " ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁being ▁a ▁circ us ▁perform er , ▁he ▁acted ▁in ▁several ▁mov ies , ▁such ▁as ▁Pre histor ic ▁Women . ▁Early ▁on ▁in