Putbus Theatre
Visiting the theatre in Putbus is an integral part of every holiday on the island of Ruegen. It is situated in a town that Marques Wilhelm Malte of Putbus (1784–1854) commissioned as his seat–it is also the second oldest spa on the coast of the Baltic Sea after Heiligendamm. In a capital and in a spa there had to be a theatre. And thus it was inaugurated in 1821. Redesigned in 1826, it was sanitized and restored at great expense from 1992 to 1998. Since then this gem of North German Classicism has been glittering with its old beauty. In cooperation with the theatres in Stralsund and Greifswald (“Theatre Vorpommern”) about 300 performances per year are presented here.
Theater Putbus ⋅ Markt 13 · 18581 Putbus ·
Tel.: +49 (0)38381 808 30 · E-mail: service@theater-putbus.de · www.theater-putbus.de ·
Visits: on appointment
Playhouse
When at the end of WW II
the historic city centre of
Neubrandenburg fell victim
to the flames, a gem remained
miraculously intact:
the Playhouse (Schauspielhaus).
The baroque halftimbered
building made of clay bricks had been built in 1793/94 as
a summer theatre for the court theatre troupe of Duke Adolf
Friedrich IV of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Today it is the oldest surviving
theatre in the region. Used for non-theatrical purposes from the late
19th century onward, the building was rediscovered as a theatre
by way of a thorough sanitation between 1990 and 1994. The unique
barrel vaulting of the auditorium, the central box, the foyer and
the outer walls were restored, the vanished stage replaced with a
modern solution. Since then, the theatre and orchestra holding
“Theater und Orchester GmbH Neubrandenburg/Neustrelitz”
has been presenting 150 performances here every year, covering
all genres.
Schauspielhaus ⋅ Pfaffenstrasse 18–22 ⋅ 17033 Neubrandenburg ⋅ Tel.: +49 (0)395 569 98 32 ⋅ E-mail: serviceb@landestheater-mecklenburg.de ⋅ www.theater-und-orchester.de ⋅ Visits: on appointment ⋅ Box office: Tues–Fri 10:00–17:00
Theatre in the New Palace
The New Palace in Sanssouci
park was built 1763–1769 for the Prussian king
Frederick II the Great. Besides
apartments for guests
and banqueting halls, the
king had a theatre installed
in the south wing. The facade does not indicate the existence of
a theatre. Only the statues on the eaves with their masques and
musical instruments could be a hint. The auditorium inside has the
form of an amphitheatre and is decorated in Frederick’s variant of
the Rococo style: gilded hermes and rocailles contrast with the red
velvet of the benches, gilded palm trees and trophies with musical
instruments frame the stage. The theatre seats 226 spectators and
offers operas, plays, and ballet performances all year round.
Schlosstheater im Neuen Palais ⋅ 14469 Potsdam ⋅
Tel.: +49 (0)331 9694 253 ⋅ E-mail: j.strassburger@spsg.de ⋅ www.spsg.de ⋅ Visits: on appointment, depending on the performance schedule
Goethe Theatre
In 1802 the poet Johann
Wolfgang von Goethe had
this theatre built after his own
design as a summer venue for
his Weimar court theatre
company in the spa town of
Bad Lauchstaedt near Halle
(Saale). The opening performance on June 26 the same year included
a prologue written by the poet and his production of Mozart’s opera
“Titus”. By way of a number of careful restoration campaigns this
treasure of the German Classical period has been saved over centuries.
Thus one can still immerse here in the theatre of Goethe’s time. During
guided tours also the understage is shown with its reconstructed
historical stage machinery that allows spectacular scene changes on
the open stage. From May to October there are delightful performances
of works by Goethe, Schiller, Mozart, Handel etc.
Goethe-Theater ⋅ Parkstrasse 18 ⋅ 06246 Bad Lauchstaedt ⋅ Tel.: +49 (0)34635 7820 ⋅ E-mail: info@goethe-theater.com ⋅ www.goethe-theater.com ⋅ Visits: Tues–Sun 10:30, 14:00, 16:00 (April–Oct); Mon–Fri 10:30 + 14:00 (Nov–March), weekends on appointment. Groups on appointment only! Limited visits on rehearsal or performance days
Private Theatre at Kochberg Palace
The ensemble of palace, park
and theatre Kochberg–once
the country estate of Goethe’s
love Charlotte von Stein–is
one of the most pleasant places
in Thuringia; it is owned by the foundation Klassik Stiftung Weimar.
A gem is the carefully restored private theatre (“Liebhabertheater”)
with its 75 seats, built for Carl von Stein in 1800. On weekends between
Easter and New Years Eve there are outstanding performances and
concerts with works from the Classical and Romantic period, performed
by renowned national and international artists. For companies
and groups of art lovers special performances are arranged. The
theatre is run by the association “Freunde des Liebhabertheaters
Schloss Kochberg e. V.” The shows are considered a discovery beyond
the borders of Thuringia.
Liebhabertheater Schloss Kochberg ⋅
07407 Grosskochberg ⋅ Tel.: +49 (0)36743 225 32 ⋅
E-mail: vorstand@liebhabertheater.com ⋅ www.liebhabertheater.com
Klassik Stiftung Weimar ⋅ E-mail: info@klassik-stiftung.de ⋅ www.klassik-stiftung.de
Visits: access during the opening times of the palace, Tue–Sun 10:00 to 18:00 (April–Oct) ⋅ Guided tours on appointment
Ekhof Theatre
Friedenstein Palace, the largest
early Baroque palace in
Germany, not only houses
outstanding art and antiques
collections but also a focal
point of German theatre
history: the Ekhof Theatre.
Built in 1681 and equipped with a still preserved stage machinery, it is
presented today in its design from 1775 when modern German theatre
started here. Until 1778 Conrad Ekhof, the “Father of German acting”,
creator of the realistic style in theatre, served here as director of
Germany’s first fully employed theatre troupe. Fixed days of performance,
regular salaries, a growing repertoire, subscriptions, tickets sold
to all citizens, subsidies, and a pension fund were unique assets of this
Gotha court theatre. The theatre is preserved today exactly as it was
in Ekhof’s time–including the stage machinery that springs to action
during the Ekhof Festival (July, August).
Ekhof-Theater ⋅ Schloss Friedenstein ⋅ 99867 Gotha ⋅ Tel.: +49 (0)3621 823 451 ⋅ E-mail: service@stiftungfriedenstein.de ⋅ www.ekhof-festival.de ⋅ Visits Ekhof-Theater & Gotha theatre history exhibition: 10:00 to 17:00 (May–Oct); 10:00 to 16:00 (Nov–April)
Meiningen Museums
Theatre Museum
Starting in 1866, Duke Georg II
of Saxe-Meiningen, the “theatre
duke”, created a new style in theatre
with his court theatre company,
took it on tour, and caused
a sensation all over Europe. “The
Meiningers” became synonymous
with up-to-date theatre. We can still get an impression of it by way of 280
original, hand-painted stage decorations, among them complete stage sets
(above: “Cathy from Heilbronn”). They were painted in the workshop of
the Brueckner brothers in Coburg who also worked for Richard Wagner.
The collection is unrivalled in the world and is shown in presentations that
change once every year. A film, a stage light show, original costumes, theatre
posters and photographs round off the exhibition. In nearby Elisabethenburg
Palace more theatre history is on display, e.g. the apartment of the
theatre duke.
Meininger Museen ⋅ Schlossplatz 1 ⋅ 98617 Meiningen ⋅ www.meiningermuseen.de ⋅
Tel. palace: +49 (0)3603 50 36 41 &sdot
Tel. theatre museum: + 49 (0)3603 47 12 90 &sdot
Visits Elisabethenburg palace: Tue–Sun 10:00 to 18:00
Presentation in the Theatre Museum in the riding hall: Tue–Sun 10, 12, 14, 16 hrs ⋅ Closed mid-January to mid-February
Meininger Theater ⋅ Bernhardstrasse 5 ⋅ www.das-meininger-theater.de ⋅
Guided tours: 8:45 to 10:00 and 14:00 to 16:00 ⋅ Tel. appointments: +49 (0)3603 45 11 36
Margravial Opera House
Wilhelmine, the favourite
sister of the Prussian king
Frederick the Great, turned
her residence, the city of
Bayreuth, into a centre of the
arts. Part of this strategy was
a spectacular opera house,
built 1746–1750. It became the most breath-taking theatre building
north of the Alps. The facade follows French Classicism, inside it
unfolds the splendour of Italian Baroque, designed by Giuseppe Galli
Bibiena, the most important theatre architect of his time. It is a
pleasure “reading” the decoration of the auditorium: up to the royal
box one can discover how the presence of the Margrave couple was
as important as the performance.
Also in and around Bayreuth: the
theatre of ruins in the Hermitage (1744), the grotto theatre at
Sanspareil (1747), Richard Wagner’s festival theatre (1876), and much
more.
Markgräfliches Opernhaus ⋅ Opernstrasse 14 ⋅ 95444 Bayreuth ⋅ Tel.: +49 (0)921 7 59 69 22 ⋅ E-mail: sgvbayreuth@bsv.bayern.de ⋅ www.schloesser.bayern.de ⋅ Visits: 9:00 to 18:00 (April–Sep); 10:00 to 16:00 (Oct–March)
Palace Theatre
The residential palace Ludwigsburg
presents art and culture of the
18th and 19th century. Three new
museums in the palace display
paintings, china and royal fashion.
A highlight is the palace theatre
(Schlosstheater). It was constructed
from 1758 onward by Philippe
de la Guêpière for Duke Carl Eugen. King Friedrich I of Wurttemberg had
the auditorium remodelled in Classicistic style by Friedrich von Thouret in
1812. The theatre was used until 1853, then deserted for 100 years. And
so the auditorium, the stage and the complete stage machinery as well as
painted front curtains and stage decorations of the 18th and early 19th
century survived–the only ones in Germany and a rare collection in Europe.
A permanent exhibition tells the story of the palace theatre. And music
lovers meet for the Ludwigsburg palace festival from June to August
(www.schlossfestspiele.de).
Schlosstheater ⋅ Schloss Ludwigsburg ⋅ Schlossstrasse 30 ⋅ 71634 Ludwigsburg ⋅ Tel.: +49 (0)7141 18 20 04 ⋅ E-mail: info@schloss-ludwigsburg.de ⋅ www.schloss-ludwigsburg.de ⋅ Visits as part of the palace tour: Mon–Sun 10:00 to 17:00 (summer), 10:00 to 16:00 (winter) ⋅ Special guided tours on appointment ⋅
Theatre museum open all year round Mon–Sun 10:00 to 17:00
Rococo Theatre
The Rococo Theatre (1752/
53) by Nicolas de Pigage is
the oldest still existing theatre
in Europe with boxless
circles. Just 20 years
after its inauguration it was
remodelled in the Classicistic
style on the order of
the art loving Elector Carl Theodor of the Palatinate. Today the
simultaneity of the two styles gives the theatre its special appeal.
The Rococo Theatre at Schwetzingen Palace was a venue for the
Mannheimer Hofkapelle, for (first) performances of works by
Voltaire, Mozart, Gluck and J. Chr. Bach. This tradition continues with
the SWR Schwetzingen Festival (Schwetzinger Festspiele) in May
and the Mozart Weeks (Mozartwochen) in September, when recitals and opera productions
can be enjoyed in the Rococo Theatre. Also worthwhile
seeing: the Baroque city centre of Schwetzingen and the famous
palace gardens with its delightful buildings.
Rokokotheater ⋅ Schloss Schwetzingen ⋅ 68723 Schwetzingen ⋅ Tel.: +49 (0)6202 128 828 ⋅ E-mail: info@schloss-schwetzingen.de ⋅ www.schloss-schwetzingen.de ⋅ Visits: on appointment
Playhouse Wilhelmsbad
This theatre owns its existence to
Prince Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel,
heir to the throne of Kurhesse. In
January 1781 he ordered the
treasury in Hanau to have 3500
florins ready “for the construction
of a Comoedien Haus (playhouse)
at Wilhelmsbad.” On July 8, 1781 the theatre–built to plans by the Councillor
Franz Ludwig von Cancrin–was inaugurated with the operetta
“Tom Jones” by François André Danican. Today there are still theatre performances and concerts in the Comoedienhaus, mostly organized by
the Comoedienhaus Ltd., the City of Hanau cultural department, and the
Volksbuehne Hanau e.V. In summer, the Comoedienhaus and the surrounding
spa park are a unique location for the festivals “Hanauer Kultursommer”
and “Wilhelmsbader Sommernacht.”
Comoedienhaus ⋅ Parkanlage 1 ⋅ 63454 Hanau-Wilhelmsbad ⋅ Tel.: +49 (0)6181 295 8129 ⋅ E-mail: comoedien@hanau.de ⋅ Visits: on appointment
Municipal Theatre
Archbishops, too, ordered theatres
to be built. So in 1787, the
archbishop of
Trier and Elector
Clemens Wenzeslaus picked a private
investor to erect a “House
for Plays, Operas, Balls, and Assemblies”
in the city of Koblenz.
Only seven months later, on 23
November 1787, the theatre was inaugurated with Mozart’s “The Abduction
from the Seraglio.” A week later the first play was performed: “The Brigands” by Schiller. In 1867 ownership was transferred to the city. The changes
that had accumulated in the 200 years of its existence were reversed in
1984/85 and the theatre completely restored; the aim was to recover the
original as accurately as possible. Today the Municipal Theatre houses three
companies for drama, opera, and ballet and offers performances almost
every day.
Theater der Stadt Koblenz ⋅ Clemensstrasse 1 ⋅ 56068 Koblenz ⋅ Tel.: +49 (0)261 129 2840 & 2841 ⋅ E-mail: theaterkasse@stadt.koblenz.de ⋅ www.theater-koblenz.de ⋅ Visits: on appointment
on the island of Ruegen. In this ideal holiday place the Marques Malte of Putbus built his ideal city–complete with a theatre (1821), of course. On the mainland, Duke Adolf Friedrich IV did not want to be without a theatre even in his summer resort Neubrandenburg, and so he had a summer theatre erected in 1797, a half-timbered building. The shining example was the Prussian king Frederick the Great who built four theatres. Of those four his private theatre (1769) in the New Palace in Potsdam-Sanssouci can still be visited.
Travelling south we enter Goethe’s world. Near the city of Halle (Saale) where Handel was born we find the historic spa Bad Lauchstaedt and the Goethe Theatre which the famous poet had built in 1802. After a little excursion to Weimar we arrive at the private theatre (1800) of the Stein family at Kochberg palace. And finally there is the palace theatre in Gotha, the Ekhof Theatre (1681/1775).
From Gotha, the centre of German
theatre in the 18th century, to the
centre of German theatre in the
19th century: Meiningen. Duke
Georg II, the theatre duke, created
a theatrical style that was copied throughout Europe. The style is
embodied in the huge stage decorations that are still preserved
and on display today.Not far away, in Bayreuth, we find one of Frederick the Great’s sisters, the Margravine Wilhelmine. She wanted to boost the image of her seat and built the most breath-taking theatre north of the Alps, the Margravial Opera House. It was inaugurated in 1748 on the occasion of the marriage of her daughter with the Duke of Wurttemberg. No sooner had the young couple arrived at their summer palace Ludwigsburg that they had a theatre built there, too (1758). Their neighbour, the Elector Carl Theodor of the Palatinate, was quicker: the Rococo Theatre in his summer palace Schwetzingen had been ready since 1752.
Prince Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel thought more in commercial terms: in 1781 he ordered the construction of a “Comoedien Haus” near Hanau in order to lure guests into his new spa Wilhelmsbad. The archbishop Clemens Wenzeslaus had a similar idea, but lacking the financial means he left it to a Mr Schmitz to build and run the theatre (1787) in Koblenz. Thus our journey to historic theatres ends–or begins–with one of the oldest municipal theatres in Germany.
