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Theater

From Stadtwiki Baden-Baden


Festspielhaus Baden-Baden
The theater at the Goetheplatz was erected in the middle of the 19th century. It is a theater with an own theater ensemble.

Building
Address Goetheplatz 

76530 Baden-Baden

Construction Date 1859-1862

Contact Data
Phone +49 (0)7221 / 932751
Fax +49 (0)7221 / 932755
E-Mail Official E-Mail
Website Official Website

Info
Opening 08.08.1862
Type Theater

Director Nicola May

Map
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The Theater Baden-Baden was erected 1862 as a neo-baroque building in the style of the Paris Opera. Annually 50,000 visitors are attending 200 performances.[1] The theater is located at the Goetheplatz in Baden-Baden's Culture Mile.

History[edit]

In 1810 a new spa theater was inaugurated close to the location of today's Kurhaus. This wooden building was already torn down 10 years later, in order to give way to the new Conversation house. In the right wing of this Conversation house, today's Kurhaus, the architect Friedrich Weinbrenner established a theater. In the years 1853 to 1855 the casino tenant Edouard Bénazet had this rooms tranformed into pompous gambling rooms. Like that the theater lost once again its venue. It was decided to build a new one at the Goetheplatz. Under the influence of Bénazet the French Architect Charles Dérechy received the order to plan the new theater. The planning department of the state Baden under Heinrich Hübsch resisted the French fashion dictate. When Dérechy died in 1859 during the planning phase, the further planning was contracted to the local architect Ludwig Lang. But he failed as well and the theater was finally built by the architect Charles Couteau. On 8 August 1862 the new theater house was opened with the opera 'Béatrice and Bénédict' by the French composer Hector Berlioz, which was specially composed for this purpose.

With the gambling ban in 1872 the theater program changed as well. German ensembles, especially the Karlsruhe Court Theater, characterize the theater program.

Another important date for the theater is then the year 1918. After today's Bénazetsaal was set up as a big stage hall at the Kurhaus, it was desired to have an own municipal theater ensemble. In 1918 this wish became reality. Under the direction of Hans Waag the 40-strong ensemble started to work.

After the Second World War, the French occupation forces fostered Baden-Baden's cultural life. The theater was already reopened on 20 April 1946.

References[edit]

  • Manfred Söhner Baden-Baden. Kunst und Kultur entlang der Oos Aquensis Verlag Baden-Baden 2007, ISBN 978-3-937978-10-9 p. 44 et seq.
  • Helmuth Bischoff Baden-Baden. Die romantische Bäderstadt im Tal der Oos DuMont Buchverlag Köln 1996, ISBN 3-7701-3086-3 p. 123 et seq.

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