German theater exhibition 1927
The German theater exhibition in 1927 took place in Magdeburg . On the occasion of the exhibition were u. a. the Magdeburg City Hall , the Albinmüller Tower and the Horse Gate were built.
prehistory
A theater exhibition had already taken place in Vienna in 1892 . The first German theater exhibition was held in Berlin in 1910 . The exhibition in Magdeburg was originally supposed to take place on the 50th anniversary of the Magdeburg City Theater in 1926, but was postponed for a year due to the extensive preparations. The Magdeburg city fathers hoped that the event would gain international recognition as a city of culture and exhibitions. Magdeburg stood in the 1920s a. a. by the former city councilor Bruno Taut for modern architecture, for housing developments and social awareness in building. The city had already celebrated successes as a trade fair and exhibition venue with the reconstruction exhibition for the Central German Exhibition in Magdeburg and in 1925 with the large Reich Sugar Exhibition.
For the exhibition, an exhibition center with a town hall, exhibition halls, experimental stage, a floating stage and the 61 meter high observation tower (today the Albinmüller tower) was built in the Rotehorn Park between Sternbrücke and Adolf-Mittag-See . The exhibition logo was designed by Karl Schulpig .
The exhibition
The exhibition began with a press ball for the opening of the town hall on May 28, 1927 and lasted four and a half months. The themes of the exhibition were the theater of the past, but in contrast to the theater exhibitions in Vienna-Berlin, above all, that of the present. Artists, critics, theater directors from all over Germany visited the exhibition. Ensembles showed productions. Exhibitions and demonstrations gave insights into diverse theatrical art, into trades such as theater painters and costume designers , but also into fire protection and stage technology . More than 200 congresses and conferences on topics related to theater life took place during the exhibition. The guests included u. a. Klaus and Erika Mann and Gustaf Gründgens . The total number of visitors is not recorded. The fourth wall was published as the organ of the exhibition .
The organizers' expectations were met and the international press reported on the event with praise.
The 1927 German Theater Exhibition in Magdeburg was (so far) the last of its kind.
Even during the exhibition, efforts were made to make the extensive material of the exhibition permanently accessible to the public. The exhibition thus gave the impetus to found the Theater Museum Berlin , which opened in 1929.
building
The buildings erected for the exhibition were more or less severely damaged during World War II, the exhibition halls, the experimental stage and the pavilions on the Sternbrücke were destroyed. The town hall, Albinmüller tower, horse gate and fountain were rebuilt or restored.
memory
For the 85th anniversary, the theater exhibition was commemorated in Magdeburg with several events. The exhibition Scenes from an Exhibition - 85 Years of the German Theater Exhibition Magdeburg 1927 were shown at several locations in the city. Large-format photos of the event locations at the time were set up in the Rotehorn Park. Pieces from the time of the exhibition were also performed. An exhibition was also held for the 90th anniversary.
literature
- Rühl: The theater exhibition in Magdeburg . In: Zentralblatt der Bauverwaltung , vol. 47, 1927, pp. 367-370 ( digitized version of the Central and State Library Berlin ).
- Mitteldeutsche Ausstellunggesellschaft mbH (Hrsg.): The German Theater Exhibition Magdeburg 1927. A description of its creation and its course . Magdeburg 1928
- German Theater Exhibition Magdeburg May - Sept 1927 . In: The Fourth Wall. Organ of the TheaterMuseum Berlin initiative . Edition 009. Berlin 2019, pp. 176–191 (brochures and documents; online in the Internet archive )
Individual evidence
- ^ History of the town hall on the website of the Magdeburg Exhibition and Event Company, accessed on February 27, 2017
- ↑ www.volksstimme.de: Die Welt des Theaters, July 20, 2016, accessed on January 27, 2017
- ↑ www.urbanite.net: German Theater Exhibition Magdeburg 1927, from May 21, 2012, accessed on February 27, 2017
- ↑ www.welt.de: A feeling for advertising effectiveness - 100 years ago, from November 18, 201, accessed on February 27, 2017
- ↑ Information on www.theatermuseumberlin.de, accessed on March 5, 2017
- ↑ www.volksstimme.de: Ambitious program: Large project reminiscent of the theater exhibition from April 25, 2012, accessed on February 27, 2017