Jagsthausen Castle Festival

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The Jagsthausen Castle Festival has been held annually since 1950 from the beginning of June to the end of August in the courtyard of the historic Jagsthausen Castle (also known as the "Götzenburg" or old castle). In addition to plays, concerts and musical theater, theater performances for children complement the annual program. The Jagsthausen Castle Festival is part of the Working Group on Ten German Festival Locations , an association of professional open-air theaters in Germany. The theater of the Burgfestspiele Jagsthausen is sponsored ideally and financially by the Friends of the Burgfestspiele.

Venue

The open-air theater

The Jagsthausen Castle Festival takes place in the courtyard of the so-called Götzenburg, where Götz von Berlichingen spent a few years of his childhood and which later became known primarily through Goethe's play Götz von Berlichingen . The Jagsthausen Castle Festival is the only venue in Germany that can show a play at its original location. The building has served as the backdrop for the summer open-air theater since 1950 .

History of the Castle Festival

1949 to 1999

In 1949, the Jagsthausen Heimat- und Verkehrsverein , the sponsoring association of the Castle Festival, was founded. The following year the first season of the Götz Festival began in Jagsthausen . Hermann Schomberg was the first actor to play Götz von Berlichingen . Around 26,000 visitors came to the 23 performances. The first director was Hans Meissner. In the same year, Federal President Theodor Heuss took over the patronage of the Castle Festival. In 1967 Ellen Schwiers took over the role of Adelheid , which she played until 1971. In 1970 a second piece, The Taming of the Shrew , was added to the program. In 1974 the festival management made a successful attempt to perform contemporary pieces in Jagsthausen with The Horse by Julius Hay and Mother Courage by Bertolt Brecht . In 1980 a children's play was performed for the first time with Pippi Longstocking . Ten years later the musical Das Feuerwerk added to the repertoire. In 1992 a major technical investment was made with the acquisition of a new lighting and sound system.

After the death of the longstanding first chairman of the Castle Festival, Götz Freiherr von Berlichingen, in 1994, his widow, Alexandra Freifrau von Berlichingen , was elected first chairman. Federal President Roman Herzog became the new patron. Up to 1996 the Castle Festival had 1,577,848 visitors.

In 1999 the Castle Festival celebrated its 50th anniversary with performances of Götz von Berlichingen , Die Fledermaus and Pippi Longstocking under the direction of Jochen Striebeck . In 2000 Jan Aust became the new director.

2001 to 2009

  • In 2001 more than 80,000 people attended the Castle Festival for the first time. Federal President Roman Herzog handed over the patronage of the festival to the entrepreneur Reinhold Würth . The festival became a non-profit GmbH. The managing directors are Alexandra Freifrau von Berlichingen, Roland Halter and Jürgen Bircks.
  • In 2002 the Burgfestspiele brought five pieces to the stage for the first time. This year investments were made in a new stage floor. The contract with Jan Aust as artistic director was extended to 2005. With 80,277 visitors, 2003 was the most successful season since the festival was founded
  • The 55th season opened on June 10, 2004 with Amphitryon by Heinrich von Kleist , directed by Jan Aust. Also on the program were the musical Cabaret , the children's play Jungle Book II - Mowgli's return and, as revivals, Götz von Berlichingen and Nathan the Wise .
  • In 2005 the visitors saw a new "Götz" production. In addition, Des Teufels General , Cabaret , Piaf , for the children Max and Moritz and open-air concerts from classical to rock.
  • In 2006 six in-house productions were played: Götz von Berlichingen , Piaf , Jesus Christ Superstar , Der Geizige , Der Hauptmann von Köpenick and, as a children's play, Räuber Hotzenplotz . In addition, concerts of classical and rock with outstanding performers.
  • In 2007 the Burgfestspiele were able to sign Heinz Kreidl, a well-known director, for Götz von Berlichingen . The musical division presented Camelot and, in the third year, Piaf , with Hamlet as well as arsenic and lace bonnets presented as further plays . Children and the young at heart saw Ali Baba as a children's play . Concerts took Paul Kuhn , the Lumberjack Big Band and the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn in the courtyard.
  • In 2008 there were three new productions and three revivals on the program: Götz von Berlichingen with Gerhard Garbers in the title role, Arsen and lace cap and Piaf were taken over, new ones were The Broken Krug with Wolfgang Hepp , Snow White and the musical The Little Horror Shop . There were no concerts or the small program in the vaulted cellar. With around 52,000 visitors, the festival had to accept a decline in attendance. After many successful years, director Jan Aust said goodbye, and Heinz Kreidl will be the new artistic director from 2009.
  • In 2009, the 60th season of the Burgfestspiele opened with Heinz Kreidl's production of The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht . His productions of Götz von Berlichingen and Woody Allen's A Midsummeright's Sex Comedy followed. Peter Löscher completed the program with his production of Schiller's Die Räuber . Otfried Preussler's Die kleine Hexe was performed in the children's program .

Since 2010

  • In 2010, in addition to Götz von Berlichingen and Shakespeare's Was Ihr wollt, The Blues Brothers with Oliver Jaksch and Thomas Gerber was performed as a musical theater for the first time . For children, the fairy tale The Little Muck was on the program.
  • In 2011 the successful musical theater The Blues Brothers was performed again. Richard O'Brien's cult musical The Rocky Horror Show was also musical . Alongside Götz von Berlichingen, Heinz Kreidl directed Edward Albee's Who is Afraid of Virginia Woolf…? My friend Wickie was there for children to see. The SWR3 Live Lyrics were also guests at the Götzenburg.
  • In 2012 Jan Maagard took over the production of Götz von Berlichingen on the 450th anniversary of his death. Heinz Kreidl stayed with the Castle Festival with the piece One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest . The pieces The Rocky Horror Show and The Blues Brothers again formed the musical program. What was new, however, was the children's play Jim Button and Lukas the Engine Driver .
  • In 2013, Heinz Kreidl staged Götz von Berlichingen again ; this time with Oliver Jaksch in the lead role, who this year - as in previous years - played Jake in The Blues Brothers again . Furthermore, it was Elton John and Tom Rice's Aida , Amadeus and children Hansel and Gretel shown. Asita Djavadi won the audience award.
  • In 2014, the productions Götz von Berlichingen with Götz Otto , Die Päpstin , and Die Feuerzangenbowle will be shown under the artistic direction of Axel Schneider and his deputy Eva Hosemann . Helen Schneider plays the leading female role in Der Ghetto Swinger and Hello, I'm Johnny Cash . In the latter, Gunter Gabriel takes on the male lead . In addition to the guest performances Fettes Schwein with Bjarne Mädel , When I was a little boy with Walter Sittler and The hostage taking with Alexandra Kamp , the family theater pieces Michel from Lönneberga and Pettson, Findus and the cock are shown. Karsten Kramer won the audience award .
  • In 2015 Walter Plathe was on stage in the title role of Götz von Berlichingen in the play of the same name and Jasmin Wagner was seen as "Adelheid von Walldorf". In addition, the musical Anatevka , The Hundred Year Old Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared , Robin Hood and a revival of Die Feuerzangenbowle were played in the courtyard. For children from 5 years the adventures of Ronja the robber's daughter came on stage and at the same time the little raven sock played in the vault of the Götzenburg.
  • In 2016, the Castle Festival entered its 67th season with an unprecedented range of top-class musicals, children's and family theater and plays. In addition to the traditional piece Götz von Berlichingen , revivals of The Hundred Year Old Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, and Die Feuerzangenbowle , came Zorro - The Musical , The Name of the Rose , As in Heaven and Pretty Best Friends with Hardy Krüger Jr. and Patrick Abozen in the lead roles in the castle courtyard. For families there was the family musical genre with Oliver Twist for the first time - do what your heart tells you! For children from 5 years there was The Little Knight Trenk and for the little ones Fortunately there are friends .
  • The season opened in 2017 with an in-house production of the musical “Catch me if you can”. In addition to the classic Götz von Berlichingen , the festival program also featured “The Hundred Years Old Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared” and “All of Goethe's Works ... slightly abridged”. For children, “Around the World in 80 Days” and “Pettson, Findus and the Rooster” were performed. The audience award in 2017 went to the entire ensemble.
  • 2018 The musical "Hair" was performed at the beginning. "The three musketeers", "BASKERVILLE - Sherlock Holmes and the dog from Baskerville", "The moving man - the musical", "The brave little tailor", "The little raven sock: Everything is mine!" And "Götz von Berlichingen" completed the performances in 2018.
  • 2019 The musical-comedy piece THE ADDAMS FAMILY premiered on the 70th anniversary of the festival . The anniversary year was supplemented with the children's play The Little Ghost . The following were also listed: HAIR , the Swabian humor format LAIBLE UND FRISCH - HOLIDAY READY , Cyrano de Bergerac and the toddler piece Fortunately there's friends . For the anniversary, Pierre Sanoussi-Bliss embodied Götz.
  • 2020 The festival had to be canceled due to the corona pandemic. The reason for this was in particular the ban on major events by the state of Baden-Württemberg. It was the first time in the history of the Castle Festival that it had to be canceled. The program has been postponed to next year 2021.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Sights on jagsthausen.de
  2. ↑ Chronicle on burgfestspiele-jagsthausen.de
  3. ↑ a b c Jagsthausen: Jagsthausen Castle Festival take stock: around 55,000 guests at the 65th season , Südwestpresse, August 28, 2014
  4. ↑ Burgfestspiele Jagsthausen cancel the 2020 season. In: Jagsthausen Castle Festival. April 24, 2020, accessed on May 22, 2020 (German).