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VOLKSBÜHNE AM ROSA-LUXEMBURG-PLATZ BERLIN
The Volksbühne in the centre of Berlin has existed since 1914. It was established as a result of a grassroots people’s movement. Erwin Piscator, in the 1920s, and Benno Besson, in the 1970s, had a huge influence on the theatre. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Frank Castorf became director-general. He turned it into perhaps the most successful, but certainly the most controversial theatre in reunified Germany. With it’s paradoxical objectives to be élitist and populist, eccentric and appealing to the masses, it simultaneously radiates a mood of awakening and the awareness of futility; it tears down the classical limits of the theatre, but also confirms them is a reflective way. The Volksbühne’s image is characterised by Frank Castorf’s seismographic investigations into the present and his multimedia novel adaptations, by Christoph Marthaler’s monuments of standstill, Christoph Schlingensief’s theatre-blasting actions and, since last season, by works of René Pollesch, the paradoxical-critical director of turbo-capitalism. But also the regular theory, music, literature and film events, as well as the ”Thematic Weekends”, which all contribute to Volksbühne’s ”concept of expanded theatre”, are integral components of this theatre. ART FOR THE NATION Die Kunst dem Volke (inscription carved on the facade of the Volksbühne theatre from 1914 until its destruction) On July 29th 1890 the foundation meeting of the association Freie Volksbühne (as organisation of and for working-class theatre-goers) took place in the Bohemian brewery in the Landsberger Allee. The aim of the association was to propagate realistic and modern dramatic art as well as to allow members of the working class theatregoing at reduced prices (members had to pay 50 Pfennig for a theatre ticket. Without reduced ticket prices its price ranged between 3,50 Mark and 8 Mark. The weekly earnings of a worker were between 16 Mark to 20 Mark.). The opening performance of the Volksbühne theatre took place on October 19th 1890 with Ibsen´s play The Pillars of Society. The cash fond for the new theatre was raised by means of an extra charge of 10 Pfennig per theatre ticket. 1913 On November 14th laying the foundations of the new theatre along plans of the architect Oscar Kaufmann: 1800 seats were now“democratically” arranged (i.e.: no boxes). 1914 Opening performance on December 30th with Wenn der junge Wein blüht by Björnson. Emil Lessing first director. 1915-1918 Max Reinhardt takes over directorship. 1918-1923 Fritz Kayssler director 1918-1923 Fritz Holl director. 1923-1928 Erwin Piscator (head producer) produced among other plays Sturmflut by Alfons Paquet (first night in 1926), Das trunkene Schiff by Paul Zech (first performance in 1926) and Gewitter über Gotland by Ehm Welk (first performance in 1927). 1928-1929 Heinrich Neft director. 1929-1932 Karl-Heinz Martin director 1932-1934 Heinz Hilpert director 1933 Management and artists’ committee of the Volksbühne association announced resignation in order to give way to a National Socialist-oriented managing. The theatre then to be found on the renamed Horst-Wessel-Platz. 1934-1936 Graf Bernard Solms director 1936-1943 Eugen Klopfer director 1939 The Volksbühne association was dissolved. Its legal successor was the Office of the Reich for Public Information and Propaganda. 1943 Serious destruction of the Volksbühne after air-raids. 1946 After World War II revival of theatrical work in the Saalbau of the Prater theatre in the Kastanienallee with Gorki´s Nachtasyl and Ernst Busch as Putin. 1947 Beginning of the reconstruction of the bomb-wrecked Volksbühne theatre (now to be found on the renamed Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz). 1950-1954 The Schiffbauerdamm Theatre provided stage for the Volksbühne theatre. 1954 On April 24th formal opening of the reconstructed Volksbühne with Schiller´s William Tell. The theatre offered 1600 seats. Fritz Wisten, who had already worked at the Schiffbauerdamm Theatre together with his new company, remained director until his death in 1962. 1956 Opening of the stage on the 3rd floor. 1962-1963 Wolfgang Heinz director 1963-1965 Maxim Vallentin director 1965-1974 Karl Holán director 1969 A new theatre company was entering the Volksbühne. Benno Besson took over managment, producer and actors from the Berliner Ensemble, the Deutsche Theater and other theatres joined the Volksbühne company. The productions of Benno Besson, Manfred Karge, Matthias Langhof, Fritz Marquardt, Brigitte Soubeyran, Helmut Straßburger/Ernstgeorg Hering differed very much with regard to individual handwritings, but they all did agree on a common idea of theatrical work, which aim was to influence and change real life and to communicate with the audience in an active and playful manner. This, of course, was to require the engagement of the whole company. Theatrical productions spread over the entire building and audience developed from mere observers to participants. Highlights of the time were Spektakel I and Spektakel II (13 topical dramas at one evening, performed on all stages of the theatre and even on places before and behind the playhouse). During the time the stalls were lifted in order to provide equally good view from all seats. In addition to the stage on the 3rd floor, other stages in the Sternfoyer and the Rote and Grüne Salon came into being. 1974 Benno Besson director 1978-1990 Fritz Riedel director. During the 1980s the theatre programme was dominated by classical comedies of world literature, plays by Gerhart Hauptmann and his contemporaries and by Berlin topics. The rather conservative and traditional programme took the place of contemporary and critical authors and confined them to the minor stages. The policy of Perestroika and Glasnost eventually motivated producers and company to put on the major stage contemporary Russian drama and theatrical adaptations of revolutionary literature. Audience was seeking the dialogue that was missing in public and expected from the theatre ideas or suggestions for a re-construction of society. 7.10.1990 On this day, people from all Berlin theatres and playhouses of the whole country gather in the Volksbühne in order to form groups which were going to organise the demonstration of November 4th. 1990-1992 Winfried Wagner, Marion van de Kamp and Annegret Hahn interim directors 1.1.1993 With Frank Castorf as the new director a new theatre company moved into the Volksbühne at the Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz. May 1995 Formal opening of the Prater as second playhouse of the Volksbühne with Erste Grosse Freiluftgesamtkunst-Lesung (the First Great Open-Air Reading of Art) in the garden adjoining the Prater theatre. |