Cabaret Theater Distel

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The Berlin Admiralspalast with advertising for the Distel cabaret theater (2011)

The cabaret theater Distel (spelling: Kabarett-Theater DISTEL) is currently the largest ensemble cabaret in Germany and is well known throughout Germany. The Distel was founded in 1953 as an East Berlin counterpoint to older West Berlin cabarets. Since then, the theater has been located in the front building of the Admiralspalast directly at Friedrichstrasse train station in Berlin-Mitte.

It offers up-to-date cabaret programs on political and general social issues. The cabaret maintains the tradition of the classic number cabaret, which stages fast-paced and entertaining programs with skits, parodies, monologues, sarcastic songs and live music.

history

Neon sign for Die Distel , 1954

“Hurray, humor is planned” - with this program Die Distel celebrated its first premiere on October 2nd, 1953. Its establishment was decided on March 19, 1953 by the then East Berlin Magistrate of Greater Berlin at the request of "broadest sections of the population", as it was said in a memo. The establishment of a cabaret in East Berlin was primarily intended to provide a political counterweight to the RIAS radio cabaret “ Die Insulaner ” and the “ Porcupines ” in West Berlin, who vehemently blasphemed against the East.

But the thistle aimed at “Janze” and soon became a well-known and popular address in all of Berlin. Of the many cabarets that formed in Germany after the Second World War, the Distel is one of the longest serving. Especially after the construction of the Berlin Wall , the Thistle was often accused of not taking sufficient measures against the class enemy in the West with satirical means and of exercising too much ideological criticism of socialism in the GDR .

Several times the rulers of the GDR refused to accept this critical cabaret. Directors were newly appointed and had to leave. In 1965 Walter Ulbricht threatened at the well-known 11th plenum of the Central Committee of the SED : “You needn't be surprised if a thunderstorm hits you one day [...]. You mustn't think that we, as party and labor functionaries, will continue to allow any scribe to spit on us. There's no cabaret in Moscow either. ”Ulbricht was particularly angry about the title of the 11th program from 1958,“ The Prolet's Beard ”. Without further ado, the program was renamed “Love and Rocket Bases” before the premiere. The popularity of the audience, the willingness to compromise on the part of the directors, authors and the ensemble kept the thistle from being extinguished.

Since the Thistle tickets, which incidentally were also a popular exchange object in everyday economic life, were extremely scarce, a second venue was opened in 1976 in the former Venus cinema in Hohenschönhausener Degnerstraße and the ensemble was significantly enlarged. Until 1990 two ensembles played alternately, only on weekends they stood together on stage.

Scenes that the audience never experienced fill entire files. A state acceptance commission checked the program before each premiere. Often passages had to be deleted and texts rewritten. In 1988, an entire program entitled “Don't pretend to come of age” was not allowed to be performed. There was no risk of banning the next program again. The time of upheaval had also begun for the thistle , and she went "with her head through the turning point ". Never before has cabaret been so close to the problems of the time: texts that were written in the morning were no longer up-to-date in the evening.

Until 1991, the thistle was an institution of the magistrate and then the Senate of Berlin. In order to implement the provisions of the Unification Treaty, the Senate and Magistrate of Berlin jointly agreed with effect from December 15, 1990 and a. decided that certain facilities would not be transferred, but would be liquidated. The then 60 employees of the Distel received a letter in which u. a. stood: "You are employed in a facility that is subject to settlement". The Senate and Magistrate did not intend to close the cabaret, but instead called for a new form of economy. The formation of a limited liability company was recommended. 40 employees were taken on by the Senate for a limited period of six months. During this time, the management of Distel prepared the establishment of a GmbH and gave up the second venue. Since August 1, 1991, Distel has only been working in the head office in Friedrichstrasse with 20 permanent employees and without any municipal or state subsidies . In addition to an average of 340 performances per year in Berlin, she also makes around 80-100 guest performances outside of Germany each year. These take place in around 180 German and foreign locations (including Switzerland , Austria , England , France , Namibia , Hungary and the USA ) and thus increase the level of awareness of the house. The thistle always has three to six programs in its repertoire, which are played by two groups. Once a year all actors appear on stage together.

Before the premieres of new programs, the Distel offers so-called open rehearsals with free admission.

In spring 2012, the Distel opened the Distel Studio on the first floor as the second stage . Guest performances, improvisational theater and programs by the young cabaret take place there. For example, Melanie Haupt , Tilman Lucke, Benjamin Eisenberg , Andreas Krenzke , Roger Stein and Christin Henkel often play there . The late-night show Fresh Pressed takes place monthly in the Distel-Studio.

Every year the Distel entertains up to 150,000 visitors in Berlin and on tours.

Directors and Artistic Directors

Erich Brehm was the founder and first director of Distel from 1953 to 1958 . From 1958 to 1963 the theater was directed by Hans Krause , who was a founding member of Distel as an actor from 1953 to 1955, from 1963 to 1968 by Georg Honigmann and from 1968 to 1989 by the Austrian Otto Stark , who had been part of the ensemble since 1959 . Norbert Dahnke was managing director of Distel from 1990 to 2008. One of the most prominent cabaret artists was Peter Ensikat , who worked as an author at the Distel from 1974 to the mid-80s and took over artistic direction from 1999 to 2004, after Gisela Oechelhaeuser's ensemble had temporarily worked as an unofficial employee of the Ministry for State Security separated, who was artistic director from 1989 to 1999 . From 2006 to 2008 Frank Lüdecke was artistic director, from 2009 to 2014 it was Martin Maier-Bode . Dirk Neldner worked as managing director from 2010 to 2015. Astrid Brenk has acted as managing director and Dominik Paetzholdt as artistic director since 2015.

Overview of the programs

Ticket for the 138th program Once Germany for everyone! of the cabaret theater Distel (2015)

The Distel cabaret theater programs at a glance:

  1. Hooray! Humor is planned - October 2nd, 1953
  2. Man, drive right - February 19, 1954
  3. Open for renovation - September 26, 1954
  4. No vacation for dear mockery - February 21, 1955
  5. Heaven, March and Cloudburst - June 16, 1955
  6. Whoever steps in the fat bowl - December 2nd, 1955
  7. Who the jacket fits - May 18, 1956
  8. O beloved tragedy - October 25, 1956
  9. When the little children are asleep - April 27, 1957
  10. Where are you rolling, potatoes - October 11, 1957
  11. Love and Missile Bases - April 2, 1958
  12. Looking back ahead - August 28, 1958
  13. No place for mild satire - November 21, 1958
  14. Berlin is if you still laugh - March 26, 1959
  15. Laugh dull - October 9, 1959
  16. Grab the happy food, buddy! - March 18, 1960
  17. Now the doorbell rang - October 8, 1960
  18. Oh my press - May 25, 1961
  19. The red firefighter - October 6, 1961
  20. Seamless Trumps - March 3, 1962
  21. Power is not just for sleeping - October 11, 1962
  22. From Montmartre to Mont Klamott - March 27, 1963
  23. Economy course 63 - July 10, 1963
  24. We toast - October 2, 1963
  25. Between Hamlet and Tokyo - March 24, 1964
  26. So far and so on - October 21, 1964
  27. Make your own bed - May 9, 1965
  28. Little stories from the big Muckefuck - May 20, 1965
  29. In the Pappenheimer affair - October 16, 1965
  30. Revue of the Offended - February 3, 1966
  31. Be devoured millions - June 21, 1966
  32. Distel's night obscenities: 1st night pr. - November 26, 1966
  33. We have been baroque for the longest time - June 9, 1967
  34. Old hats requiem - October 12, 1967
  35. Attention! Play Street! - May 20, 1968
  36. You can visit us in the evening - October 8, 1968
  37. Plunder, Plush and Patchouli - March 26, 1969
  38. The cheers are rolling - September 24, 1969
  39. I used to play marbles here - December 21, 1969
  40. The complaint book, please - May 21, 1970
  41. Cheer up, comrades - October 5th, 1970
  42. We ask for class - March 25, 1971
  43. An alley for leisure (3rd night program) - October 14, 1971
  44. Follow me, medals! - April 5, 1972
  45. On the bosom of culture - October 14, 1972
  46. Virtue ahead! - April 28, 1973
  47. In her own laugh - December 1, 1973
  48. Forward and don't forget! - April 27, 1974
  49. A small night boutique (4th night priest) - October 19, 1974
  50. For the cheerful arrangement - April 26, 1975
  51. All the hype - November 16, 1975
  52. To a new one - June 24th, 1976
  53. So help me ridicule - November 27, 1976
  54. Knigge 77 - April 23, 1977
  55. Distel's Funzelkabinett (5th night program) - November 26, 1977
  56. Please get in - April 22, 1978
  57. Hooray is planned - November 25, 1978
  58. Thank you, keep laughing! - April 28, 1979
  59. Berlin, cosmopolitan city with theater - December 8, 1979
  60. Love and blows (6th night program) - October 4, 1980
  61. Lucky we have it - April 4th 1981
  62. We still have reserves - December 12, 1981
  63. From I to We - October 16, 1982
  64. This is our custom - April 23, 1983
  65. That is no longer solemn (7th night examination) - December 10, 1983
  66. Pros and contradictions - April 30, 1984
  67. Displaced Years (Special Program) - December 4, 1984
  68. We're affording ourselves - April 27, 1985
  69. Poetry, I don't give a damn about it (special program) - November 5, 1985
  70. Do not save on courage despite effort - March 8, 1986
  71. Always in the jute room (8th night exam) - December 6, 1986
  72. Forward to New Episodes - May 16, 1987
  73. We bargain - February 6, 1988
  74. No legal age (prohibited), dress rehearsal - November 16, 1988
  75. Between tears and laughter (special program) - April 8, 1989
  76. We are already worth a trip - April 22, 1989
  77. With my head through the turning point - January 14, 1990
  78. Survival - March 24, 1990
  79. We only existed once - September 29, 1990
  80. We are the last - May 11, 1991
  81. Berlin, Berliner am Berlinsten - October 18, 1991
  82. This side of good and bad - April 11, 1992
  83. We took over (recapitulation) - August 25, 1992
  84. Wealth obliges - February 26, 1993
  85. Don't believe a word (Solo Gisela Oechelhaeuser ) - June 5, 1993
  86. Völker hears the final (40 years of thistle ) - October 2nd, 1993
  87. The pure void - September 30, 1994
  88. We are not affected (recapitulation II) - December 21, 1994
  89. The sun rises in the west - April 21, 1995
  90. Save us who can - December 18, 1995
  91. Life probation - May 3, 1996
  92. We laugh each other dead - September 27, 1996
  93. We didn't deserve that - September 26, 1997
  94. Orpheus in Eurydice (cabaret operetta) - December 10, 1997
  95. All brothers become human - April 9, 1998
  96. We meet (co-production with the Günter Neuman Foundation) - December 14, 1998
  97. We are a strong piece - April 22, 1999
  98. Do what you want - I'll take part - October 21, 1999
  99. Only fleeing is nicer - December 13, 1999
  100. Tried a hundred times - September 25, 2000
  101. Garden Festival - November 2nd, 2000
  102. We summarize - December 11, 2000
  103. Emperor King Bertelsmann - September 27, 2001
  104. Bomb atmosphere - April 18, 2002
  105. Robin's sons, ready for the island - March 11, 2003
  106. Open end - October 2nd, 2003
  107. When the Thierse rings twice - March 15, 2004
  108. Shot panic - October 4, 2004
  109. Everything for the cat - April 19, 2005
  110. Between the Poles - September 29, 2005
  111. A song goes around the world - December 15, 2005
  112. Clear round - June 15, 2006
  113. Hotel Heimat - April 17th, 2007
  114. The hour of the experts - October 25, 2007
  115. Best of Distel - May 15, 2008
  116. Shanghai - October 1, 2008
  117. Finds Koehler - December 14, 2008
  118. Beyond Angela - April 9, 2009
  119. You don't kiss the chairman of the State Council - August 13, 2009
  120. Laughing in the Times of Cholera - September 4th, 2009
  121. The Guido Principle - April 15, 2010
  122. Berlin 21 - The Silence of Lammert - September 1st, 2010
  123. Six and the City - October 28, 2010
  124. Blonde Republic of Germany - April 9, 2011
  125. Bundestag battle zone - May 26, 2011
  126. Take 3 - July 11, 2011
  127. We're stepping back - December 12, 2011
  128. The third one bites better - June 7th, 2012
  129. A Ministry of Pants - October 18, 2012
  130. Like clockwork! - October 25, 2012
  131. Best of 2012 - We're stepping back - December 14, 2012
  132. The Chancellor Whisperers - April 25, 2013
  133. Anniversary program: finally visions! - October 2, 2013
  134. Christmas alert! - November 23, 2013 (studio production)
  135. Clear announcement: Totally taxed! - May 15, 2014
  136. On behalf of the diamond - October 2, 2014
  137. Merkel! - December 11, 2014
  138. Once Germany for everyone! - October 29, 2015
  139. The purpose justifies the evening - November 27, 2015 (studio production)
  140. What to do with mom - May 13, 2016
  141. Those who gamble earlier are rich longer - July 22nd, 2016
  142. Happiness is for strong nerves - September 23, 2016 (studio production in cooperation with the Theaterschiff Hamburg)
  143. That's the summit - October 14, 2016
  144. Berlin Extra Scharf - October 21, 2016 (A co-production with Theater Mogul GmbH)
  145. Two rooms, kitchen: State! - April 28, 2017
  146. When Germans cross borders - October 6, 2017
  147. Circus Angela - May 4th 2018
  148. The future is not a pony farm - October 2, 2018 (studio production)
  149. 2018: Odyssey in the Cavity - October 13, 2018
  150. World saving for beginners - March 15, 2019
  151. Scandal in the Spree district - October 18, 2019
  152. At night in the Bundestag - April 3, 2020

Awards

literature

Selection of book sources

  • Dietmar Jacobs: Investigations into the GDR professional cabaret of the Honecker era . Cologne studies on literary studies. Frankfurter a. M. 1996
  • Foundation House of the History of the Federal Republic of Germany (Hrsg.): Fun aside. Humor and Politics in Germany . Leipzig 2010
  • Brigitte Riemann: The GDR cabaret: "... an underground organization with high government awards ..." ?. Walking a tightrope between the socialist ideal and everyday life (1949–1999) . In: Time and Text , Volume 17, 2000
  • Heinrich Goertz: A breath of fresh air in the Vaterland house in 1948 . In: Die Horen. Journal for Literature, Art and Criticism , 40, 1995
  • Volker Kühn: The cabaret of the early years - a cheeky muse child takes its first steps . Weinheim, Berlin (West) 1984
  • Manfred Jäger: That's how you laugh in the GDR . In: Pardon , 14, 1975
  • Klaus Budzinski: Pepper in the gear. A journey through 100 years of cabaret . Munich 1984
  • Frank Wilhelm: Literary satire in the Soviet occupation zone, GDR 1945–1961 - authors, institutional framework conditions and cultural policy guidelines . Hamburg 1998
  • Hans H. Krause: Reach for the happy food, buddy! Henschelverlag Art and Society, Berlin 1962
  • Hans-Dieter Schütt: The half-strong laugh Conversations with Gisela Oechelshaeuser . Dietz Verlag, Berlin 1997
  • Horst Wagner: October 2nd, 1953 - Berlin cabaret "Die Distel" opens . In: Berlin monthly magazine ( Luisenstädtischer Bildungsverein ) . Issue 3, 2001, ISSN  0944-5560 , p. 136-138 ( luise-berlin.de ).
  • Erich Brehm: The thistle blooms for fun . Eulenspiegel Verlag, Berlin
  • Peter Ensikat: From now on I won't admit anything. News from the new eastern province .
  • Peter Ensikat: Where the fun ends. Satires from 20 years .
  • Peter Ensikat: All my half-truths .
  • Peter Ensikat, Wolfgang Schaller: Citizens, protect your systems or whoever the hat fits , satirical sentences from the estate of Red Paul. Henschelverlag Art and Society, Berlin 1983
  • Erich Brehm: The refreshing trumpet, deeds and misdeeds of satire . Henschelverlag Art and Society, Berlin 1964
  • Hans Krause: I was a thistle. Memories of a Sairik . Eulenspiegel-Verlag, Berlin 2011, ISBN 978-3-359-02305-0 .
  • Lutz Stückrath: Good sides, bad sides. Stories that life wrote . Eulenspiegel-Verlag, Berlin 2005, ISBN 978-3-359-01661-8 .
  • Rudolf Hösch: Cabaret from yesterday and today
  • Alexander Schäfer - about his father Gerd E. Schäfer
  • Kurt Zimmermann: Who the gods love. For the twenty-five year old of the "thistle" . In: Ernst Günther, Heinz P. Hofmann, Walter Rösler (eds.): Cassette. An almanac for the stage, podium and ring (=  cassette ). No. 2 . Henschelverlag Art and Society, Berlin 1978, p. 7-28 .

Selection of newspaper reports after 1990

  • Reinhard Wengierek: Eastern satire: From the rain into the unity . In: Die Welt , June 21, 1995
  • Claudia Petzold, Reinhard Wengierek: My God, we laughed . In: Neue Zeit , September 4, 1993
  • Reinhard Kasselt: I will probably never succeed in loving a state . In: Sächsische Zeitung , May 29, 1992; interview
  • Annett Urbaczka: A strong castle in our march . In: Rheinische Post , November 18, 1991
  • Constanze Pollatschek: Weeds don't go away . In: Wochenpost , 1991; interview
  • Roland Mischke: Fall into freedom . In: FAZ , November 20, 1990
  • Heinz Kersten: funeral song and wedding serenade . In: Frankfurter Rundschau , October 5, 1990
  • East Berlin Portraits - Gisela Oechelshaeuser . In: Der Tagesspiegel , July 26, 1990
  • Karin Freitag: Don't reinvent the bike, just highlight it . In: Neues Deutschland , November 30, 1990

Web links

Commons : The Thistle  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Cabaret Theater Distel in Mitte. berliner-freizeit-tipps.de, accessed on November 26, 2015 .
  2. ^ History of the building. The thistle, accessed November 26, 2015 .
  3. ↑ a b c About us. The thistle, accessed November 26, 2015 .
  4. ↑ a b c d e Cabaret Distel. CONTOUR-Concert.de, accessed on November 26, 2015 .
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h History exposé cabaret theater DISTEL. (PDF) (No longer available online.) Cabaret Theater Distel, archived from the original on March 4, 2016 ; accessed on November 28, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.distel-berlin.de
  6. ↑ a b Crazy neighbors. Westfälische Nachrichten, accessed on November 26, 2015 .
  7. ↑ Schedule website
  8. ^ Artistic directors and directors. The thistle, accessed November 26, 2015 .
  9. ↑ Programs. DISTEL cabaret theater, accessed on January 5, 2016 .

Coordinates: 52 ° 31 ′ 15 ″  N , 13 ° 23 ′ 19 ″  E