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 Interactive map of Saarländisches Staatstheater | |
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| Location | Saarbrücken, Germany |
| Coordinates | 49°13′51″N6°59′46″E / 49.2308°N 6.9961°E /49.2308; 6.9961 |
| Event | Theatre |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1937 (1937)–1938 |
| Opened | 9 October 1938 |
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Theater Saarbrücken, officiallySaarländisches Staatstheater since 1971, is the state theatre ofSaarland in its capitalSaarbrücken, Germany. It has several divisions (opera, drama, dance, concert) and offers annually around 30 new productions in around 700 events for more than 200,000 people. Its venues areGroßes Haus (Big House),Alte Feuerwache (Old Fire Station),Congresshalle (Conference Hall) andsparte4 (area 4).[1] While theatre in Saarbrücken has a long history, the present main venue was completed in 1938, with plans commissioned by the Nazi regime.
Saarbrücken had several venues for theatre before the French Revolution, a theatre at theSchloss Saarbrücken, a comedy house from 1787,[2] and an open-air theatre on the Ludwigsberg.August Wilhelm Iffland was director of the court theatres from 1786 to 1793.[3]
During the following period as part ofPrussia, there was no venue for theatre. In 1897, theSaalbau was built as a concert hall. A municipal theatre was built byHans Peter Weszkalnys [de] and opened on 18 February 1897 with the operaMignon by Ambroise Thomas. From 1899, it was calledThalia-Theater. In 1906, plans for a better building began.[4]
The main venue of today'sSaarländisches Staatstheater was built in 1937 and 1938, commissioned byJoseph Goebbels and designed byPaul Baumgarten [de]. The funding came mostly from the city of Saarbrücken.[5] It was opened on 9 October 1938, called Gautheater Saarpfalz,[2] with a performance of Wagner'sDer fliegende Holländer, in the presence of Hitler, Goebbels andHeinrich Himmler. The firstIntendant wasBruno von Niessen [de].[2]Heinz Bongartz wasGeneralmusikdirektor from 1937 to 1944.[6]
Destroyed in World War II, the theatre was restored,[5] and opened again on 6 March 1948, now namedStadttheater Saarbrücken (Saarbrücken City Theatre), with Mozart'sDie Zauberflöte. When the Saar became part of theFederal Republic of Germany on 1 January 1957, the contract was signed at the theatre, with chancellorKonrad Adenauer and the prime minister of the Saar,Hubert Ney.[7]
In 1971, the state of Saarland took over as owner of the theatre, and the name was changed toSaarländisches Staatstheater.[8] The building was declared a historic monument in 1983.[9]Bodo Busse [de] has been theIntendant from the 2017/18 season.[10]
Among the people holding the position ofIntendant (general manager) were:[5]
Among the conductors wereSiegfried Köhler andLaurent Wagner [de].[5]
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