was a , a theatre for plays, in

Wuppertal Wuppertal (; "''Wupper Dale''") is, with a population of approximately 355,000, the seventh-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia as well as the 17th-largest city of Germany. It was founded in 1929 by the merger of the cities and tow ...

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more than 18 million inha ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. The 745-seat municipal theatre is on next to the river

Wupper The Wupper is a right tributary of the Rhine in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Rising near Marienheide in western Sauerland it runs through the mountainous region of the Bergisches Land in Berg County and enters the Rhine at Leve ...

Elberfeld Elberfeld is a municipal subdivision of the German city of Wuppertal; it was an independent town until 1929. History The first official mentioning of the geographic area on the banks of today's Wupper River as "''elverfelde''" was in a doc ...

. Designed by , it was opened in 1966, run from 2001 by '' (''Wuppertal Stages'', municipal theatres in Wuppertal). Starting in 2009, the house operated only 135 seats, and it was closed on 30 June 2013.

History

All theatres in Wuppertal were damaged in World War II. Performances were held in various locations. After the opera house was restored in 1956, the town decided in 1962 to build a new house dedicated to plays. In 1963 Gerhard Graubner was commissioned to build a house with 750 seats. Construction started in 1964. The Schauspielhaus was opened on 24 and 25 September 1966, playing Gotthold Ephraim Lessing's ' and

Else Lasker-Schüler Else Lasker-Schüler (née Elisabeth Schüler) (; 11 February 1869 – 22 January 1945) was a German-Jewish poet and playwright famous for her bohemian lifestyle in Berlin and her poetry. She was one of the few women affiliated with the Expressi ...

's ' ( de).

Heinrich Böll Heinrich Theodor Böll (; 21 December 1917 – 16 July 1985) was a German writer. Considered one of Germany's foremost post-World War II writers, Böll is a recipient of the Georg Büchner Prize (1967) and the Nobel Prize for Literature (1972). ...

delivered a speech for the inauguration in the presence of president

Heinrich Lübke Karl Heinrich Lübke (; 14 October 1894 – 6 April 1972) was a German politician, who served as president of West Germany from 1959 to 1969. He suffered from deteriorating health towards the end of his career and is known for a series of emba ...

, "" (Freedom in the art). Since June 2000, the building has been protected as an architectural monument. During construction at the

opera house An opera house is a theatre building used for performances of opera. It usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and building sets. While some venues are constructed specifically fo ...

from 2006 to 2009, it showed also opera and productions of the '' (Dance Theatre Wuppertal) created by

Pina Bausch Philippine "Pina" Bausch (27 July 1940 – 30 June 2009) was a German dancer and choreographer who was a significant contributor to a neo-expressionist dance tradition now known as . Bausch's approach was noted for a stylized blend of dance m ...

. In 2009 the house needed major repair, forcing it to be closed. As a renovation could not be funded, a 135-seat studio theatre, the '' operated in the foyer from the 2009/2010 season. The premiere was on 25 September 2009 '. Protests by citizens achieved a delay for the complete closing until 2013. The last performance was on 30 June 2013. Cleanup has to be finished by 31 July 2013. A further use as an international archive for the dance theatre or en extension of the Von der Heydt Museum is considered, but depends on major renovation that likely also can not be funded.

Architecture

The house is structured in three elements, following its functions. The building is symmetrical in layers of different height. White walls are accented by a "Fensterband", a horizontal arrangement of narrow windows. The broad entrance hall is on the ground floor, also the

foyer A lobby is a room in a building used for entry from the outside. Sometimes referred to as a foyer, reception area or an entrance hall, it is often a large room or complex of rooms (in a theatre, opera house, concert hall, showroom, cinema, etc. ...

including two atriums with Japanese gardens. The great hall is above and beyond it, its outer walls are slightly curved. The seats are arranged in 20 rows in the style of an amphitheatre. The stage house is a high cube, situated next to the river.

Literature

* ''Informationen Schauspielhaus der Stadt Wuppertal erbaut 1964–1966'', Hochbauamt of Wuppertal

References

External links

Wuppertaler Bühnen
Website
Tanztheater Wuppertal
{{Authority control Theatres in Wuppertal Buildings and structures completed in 1966