TheHaus der Berliner Festspiele is a theater in Berlin (Schaperstraße 24, 10719 Berlin).
It was opened on 1 May 1963 as the "Theater der Freien Volksbühne". Previously, the West Berlin part of the former Volksbühne Berlin, theFreie Volksbühne Berlin [de], which was founded in 1948, had used theTheater am Kurfürstendamm [de] as its venue from 1949 to 1963.[1][2]
Under the direction ofErwin Piscator, the theatre moved into its own new building in 1963. The architect wasFritz Bornemann, who also designed theDeutsche Oper Berlin and theAmerica Memorial Library in Berlin, among others.Rolf Hochhuth's tragedyDer Stellvertreter, which Intendant Piscator had premiered at the Theater am Kurfürstendamm in February 1963, was reopened here on 1 July 1963. Under artistic directorKurt Hübner [de] (1973–1986), directors such asPeter Zadek,Klaus Michael Grüber andHans Neuenfels offered avant-garde and risk-taking productions without a permanent ensemble. From 1986 to 1990 Neuenfels was artistic director, from 1990 to 1992Hermann Treusch [de].[3]
In 1992, theSenate of Berlin withdrew funding from the Theater der Freien Volksbühne, and in 1999 it was sold to an investor. In 2000, the theatre was rented by the federal government and made available to theBerliner Festspiele. In April 2001, it was reopened as the Haus der Berliner Festspiele and played host to events at various festivals throughout the year.[4]The house, with a capacity of well over 1,000 seats (Main Stage: 999, Side Stage: 280, Upper Foyer: 200, Rehearsal Stage: 100, Box Office Hall: 200), has remained almost unchanged to this day and is alisted building. Since its construction, theBerliner Festspiele has regularly used it for theBerliner Theatertreffen and international guest performances. As a festival and event venue, it presents international artists from all fields throughout the year, for example international authors every September as part of theBerlin International Literature Festival.[5]
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