Colosseum theater

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Colosseum Theater (2011)

The Colosseum Theater is an event hall in Essen's west quarter . The Colosseum is the converted former 8th mechanical workshop of Friedrich Krupp AG , now a listed industrial hall.

history

Industrial use

Around 1910: on the right the 8th mechanical workshop with the Alfred Krupp monument , on the left the building of the Krupp consumer institute built in 1874

The brick building was erected in 1900 and 1901 on the eastern edge of the former Krupp cast steel factory in Essen as a three-aisled industrial hall. At that time it was called the 8th mechanical workshop and was the workplace of around 2000 people who, among other things, manufactured locomotive frames and crankshafts for ships.

In contrast to most of the surrounding Krupp industrial buildings, this hall was not destroyed during the Second World War . However, the statue of the Alfred Krupp monument that stood in front of the 8th mechanical workshop, roughly where the external staircase is today, was thrown from its base by aerial bombs and is now owned by the Ruhr Museum . The monument at the entrance to the cast steel factory was created by the Munich sculptor Alois Mayer (1855–1936). It was unveiled in 1892 and contained Alfred Krupp's guiding principle on its base. He remembered him in 1873 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his takeover of the cast steel factory from his mother Therese :

"The purpose of work should be the common good, then work brings blessings, then work is prayer."

As a thank you for the memorial, Alfred Krupp's son Friedrich Alfred Krupp had the Altenhof settlement built for Krupp elderly and disabled people.

AEG Kanis later rented the factory hall and then became the owner. Steam turbines were built here, later only gas turbines. Between 1983 and 1987 the natural gas pipeline from Siberia to Western Europe was built here. AEG-Kanis built a total of 47 gas turbines in the halls for the so-called natural gas pipe business , in which Mannesmann also had a significant share.

After the relocation of AEG-Kanis in 1988, the building was listed as a historical monument in 1989 . The ensemble that was placed under protection also includes the works railway bridge from 1872 in front of the hall and the former floor turning shop to the west as the only remaining factory building of the cast steel factory, which already existed during Alfred Krupp's lifetime . Today it is the seat of the Center for Turkish Studies.

  • Former Entrance to the Krupp cast steel factory , Colosseum Theater on the left, Press and Hammerwerk Ost on the right

  • View of the Colosseum from Altendorfer Strasse (2011)

  • Rear of the hall (2011)

  • Interior (2005)

  • Entrance hall (2005)

  • Former Krupp bullet turning shop

Use as a theater 1996–2020

In January 1993, at a kick-off workshop, it was decided to convert the old industrial wasteland around the former factory hall in order to make the area more attractive for tourism and to attract new industries. In July 1994 a usage concept was presented that included converting the old industrial building into a musical theater. The name Colosseum Theater is intended to remind of the variety theater of the same name, then nationally known in the Rhineland and Westphalia , which was located on Kopstadtplatz in Essen between 1899 and 1929 ; see: Colosseum (Essen) .

Thus the building was converted into a musical theater by the architects Kohl & Kohl (today Kohl: Fromme Essen / Duisburg) from May 1995 to December 1996. The old steel construction and the glazed roof remained visible in their original state. The stage tower was installed in the hall with its Art Nouveau elements. The auditorium was integrated as an independent structure (room within a room), suspended galleries surround the 25 meter high foyer and the aisles. Cord floors and lighting bridges have been inserted into the stage building with its historical elements and the 14 by 7 meter portal. The riveted steel girders and the masonry including the framework structure were cleaned and sealed. The theater hall now offers space for over 1400 people, the foyer alone holds around 2000 people. There is also the studio theater, two galleries and a restaurant; all together on a total area of ​​around 5100 square meters. In addition, exhibits by contemporary painters and sculptors are on display in the foyer.

From 1996 to 2000 the theater was operated by Stella Entertainment AG . In August 2000, after Stella AG went bankrupt, the organizer Stage Entertainment took over the musical venue . In February 2010 it was announced that after the end of the musical Buddy in July 2010 no further musicals would be performed in the Colosseum Theater. Instead, the theater was rented by Stage Entertainment from August 2010 for press conferences, product presentations, symposia, congresses, festive occasions, award ceremonies and theater guest performances. The background is that only the musical Elisabeth made a profit. All other musicals presented in the Colosseum earned less than the production costs.

Musicals 1996-2010

From December 1996 to July 2010 these musical productions were performed in the Colosseum Theater, with Elisabeth and Aida celebrating their German premiere here:

Musicals in the Colosseum Theater Essen
Beginning The End musical genre organizer Remarks
December 13, 1996 December 12, 1999 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat musical Stella Entertainment AG
January 15, 2000 June 30, 2000 Jesus Christ superstar Rock musical
March 23, 2001 June 28, 2003 Elisabeth musical Stage entertainment German premiere
0October 5, 2003 July 22, 2005 Aida Rock musical German premiere
September 29, 2005 March 10, 2007 The Phantom of the Opera musical
0May 6, 2007 July 27, 2008 Mamma Mia! Jukebox musical
0October 5, 2008 July 26, 2009 I want fun World premiere
0October 8, 2009 July 31, 2010 Buddy

Events 2010–2020 (excerpt)

Only events that were shown for more than four weeks in the Colosseum Theater are shown below:

Events in the Colosseum Theater Essen
Beginning The End event genre
November 23, 2012 December 30, 2012 From the spirit of Christmas musical
April 11, 2013 30th of June 2013 We will rock you Jukebox musical
4th November 2016 December 11, 2016 I have never been to New York Jukebox musical

Center for innovation from 2020

On February 17, 2020, the organizer Stage Entertainment announced that the RAG Foundation and the energy company E.ON had bought the Colosseum. Together, they intend to set up a center for innovation there from July 1, 2020 .

Web links

Commons : Colosseum Theater  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Excerpt from the list of monuments of the city of Essen (PDF; 885 kB); accessed on November 12, 2016
  2. ↑ a b A tearful farewell to Buddy. In: Derwesten.de. August 1, 2010, accessed December 8, 2014 .
  3. ^ RAG-Stiftung and Eon buy Essen Colosseum Theater ; In: Süddeutsche Zeitung of February 17, 2020

Coordinates: 51 ° 27 ′ 32 ″  N , 7 ° 0 ′ 9 ″  E