Kammerspiele Bochum

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Entrance foyer of the Kammerspiele Bochum

The Kammerspiele are an extension of the Bochum theater . Around a decade later, the Kammerspiele Bochum building was built in the immediate vicinity of the theater on the site of the 15th century aristocratic residence Haus Rechen , which was destroyed in the war . They were built according to the plans of the architect Gerhard Moritz Graubner , who previously designed the reconstruction (1951 to 1953) of today's Bochum theater on the old foundations of the theater that was destroyed in the war. The architect of the Bochum municipal building authority, Heinz Jentzsch, took on the local construction supervision, and he was already assisting Graubner with the construction of the large theater.

The Kammerspiele were planned between 1963 and 1964 and built between 1964 and 1966. The topping-out ceremony took place on November 19, 1965, and the opening took place on October 13, 1966. The executing client and owner is the city of Bochum . The condition is preserved, there is no monument protection .

The address is: Königsallee 15, 44789 Bochum-Ehrenfeld

prehistory

The Bochum Kammerspiele were already held in the auditorium of the boys' vocational school on Ostring (opening on September 25, 1955). In this form, with the restricted stage that could only be used for a third of the normal season, they were only a modest addition to the play area in the theater. Nonetheless, the following performances were given in these Kammerspiele, for example in the 1959/60 season : Biedermann and the arsonists by Max Frisch , the parasite or the art of making happiness by Friedrich Schiller , the zoo story by Edward Albee , the last volume by Samuel Beckett , Clavigo / tragedy by Goethe , spring awakening / child tragedy by Frank Wedekind .

Idea and concept

Under the directorship of Hans Schalla , the number of visitors to the Schauspielhaus Bochum is great and the desire arose to build a separate venue for the experimental theater. According to Lord Mayor Fritz Heinemann (* 1903 - † 1975, SPD, Lord Mayor of Bochum 1952–1969), the Bochum stage has always known how to address working people and not only provide them with diversion, but also give them ideas for a fruitful cultural exchange of views. In the middle of the Ruhr area, a stronghold of the German speaking stage has emerged, which established Bochum's reputation as an important theater city. It was therefore a wish to have a separate Kammerspiele building to further develop the typical Bochum theater culture. Something should be offered here that attracts a new and younger audience outside of the regular Bochum audience. The perfect solution was the often discussed construction of a small house with 400 to 500 seats on the southwestern border of the theater as a welcome filling of this vacant lot after the completed extension for magazine purposes or for other technical purposes and social measures.

Architecture and design

A comparison of the theater with the Kammerspiele reveals the changed architectural expression. In the new building of the Kammerspiele, an uncompromisingly uncompromising architectural solution of the (then) time was placed alongside a form language that was still bound by the structural ties of the ruins of the old building, which were partly to be preserved.

Technical plan sizes and costs

The built-up area is approx. 1300 square meters.

The stage area is approx. 200 square meters, of which the front stage ( orchestra pit ) and side stage account for approx. 32 square meters.

An iron curtain measuring approximately 14.5 × 8.3 meters forms the end of the stage to the auditorium .

The auditorium has two entrances with vestibules to the foyer. The foyer area is approx. 385 square meters.

The auditorium was planned with 401 seats in 16 rows, the volume of the hall being around 2010 cubic meters and thus an air space of around 5 cubic meters per person.

The total construction costs add up from the costs of the individual construction phases:

The first construction phase of the theater (large house) cost around 6.4 million DM up to 1953. The magazine building was built in 1960 for 330,000 DM. The additional buildings such as the renovation of the administration building, the artists' wing and the Kammerspiele caused costs of and 6.75 million DM up to the autumn of 1966. Thus, the total costs of the Bochum theater (large house with storage building, additions and chamber plays) are around 13.5 million DM.

Opening event and premiere

The Kammerspiele opened on the evening of October 13, 1966 with the world premiere of Maximilian Schell's “Herostrat”, in which he both directed and played the leading role. An official champagne reception with buffet took place an hour beforehand in the foyer for all invited guests. The reception was deliberately kept rather simple, and background music was expressly avoided. The mayor Fritz Heinemann and the architect Gerhard Graubner were among the various opening speakers. The seats in the first three rows were reserved for prominent guests and personalities, the other seats were allocated according to the order in which the invitations were received. A letter dated October 7, 1966 to the Bochum city administration shows that for the opening of the Kammerspiele on October 13, 1966, 24 tickets were reserved for the students of the University of Bochum .

Catering area

In the course of the renovation under the direction of Matthias Hartmann , a restaurant will be set up in the open foyer of the Kammerspiele: “the pantry”. From the 2010/2011 season it is in memory of the late 2008 Tana Schanzara in Tanas renamed (with 50 years of stage presence Tana Schanzara was the longest-serving and most popular member of the ensemble in Bochum).

In the summer of 2017, the foyer, cash desk and catering area were redesigned.

Trivia and miscellaneous

Originally, the Kammerspiele were planned purely as a spoken theater by Graubner; the stage was not set up as a music room until the construction phase, after an aptitude test.

The first planning of the facade cladding with red clinking was discarded and replaced by a copper skin as a contrast to the neighboring buildings.

The 80th birthday of Tana Schanzara in December 2005 was the occasion for a big gala in the Kammerspiele.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ruhr buildings. Retrieved January 12, 2020 .
  2. ↑ (Source: Bochum City Archives, Bo41 / 179): Kammerspiele Bochum . Bo41 / 179. Bochum.
  3. ↑ Source: Stadtspiegel of March 2, 2016, The Lord Mayors of the City of Bochum
  4. ↑ (Source: from speeches at the opening of the Kammerspiele by the Bochum Actor House on October 13, 1966, compiled by the Bochum City Press Office, Bochum City Archives, Bo41 / 179)
  5. ↑ (Source: structural conditions and equipment, see Rathauspost 1966, Bochum City Archives, Bo41 / 179)
  6. ↑ (Source: Rathauspost from October 11, 1966 number 184 according to the table of contents Section A, II, page 5, dimensions and technical data for the Kammerspiele Bochum, Bochum City Archives, Bo41 / 179)
  7. ↑ (Source: Rathauspost from October 11, 1966, number 184, according to the table of contents, Section A, IV, page 9: Construction costs, Bochum City Archives, Bo41 / 179)
  8. ↑ Source: On the opening of the Kammerspiele of the Schauspielhaus Bochum on October 13, 1966 from the Rathauspost, special edition from September 11, 1966, number 184
  9. ↑ (Source: Bochum City Archives, Bo41 / 179)
  10. ↑ (Source: Stadtspiegel Bochum, March 2, 2016, Das Schauspielhaus since 1945)
  11. ↑ (Source: Bochum City Archives, Bo41 / 179)
  12. ↑ Ruhr buildings. Retrieved January 12, 2020 .
  13. ↑ (Source: Stadtspiegel Bochum, March 2, 2016, Das Schauspielhaus since 1945)