Theater old indoor swimming pool
The Theater Altes Hallenbad in Friedberg (Hessen) is a former swimming pool that was built in 1909. After being vacant for a long time from 1980, the old indoor swimming pool is now used as a theater and cultural facility after extensive renovation work.
history
The Art Nouveau building in downtown Friedberg near the Wetterau Museum and the Friedberg City Church was inaugurated in 1909 as a swimming pool and bathing establishment with a terrace for sunbathing .
The initiative to build this swimming pool came from the Friedberg citizens at the beginning of the 20th century; she founded a citizens' association that campaigned for the building in order to create better hygienic conditions for all Friedberg citizens.
The citizens' association provided for the financing of the building through donations, a lottery and a stock corporation, the "Actien-Gesellschaft Städtisches Schwimmbad Friedberg in Hessen". In the period from February 17, 1908 (first groundbreaking) to May 1909, the bath was built according to the plans of the architect Hans Meyer from Gießen . He described the architectural style as follows: “While the interior of the building was predominantly modern, the exterior shows the character of the Baroque throughout .” The interior of the building is characterized by numerous elements of Art Nouveau, while the outside pays homage to the then modern Neo-Baroque . After completion, the costs amounted to 169,737 marks , which were covered by the funds of the association.
After the opening of the swimming pool at Whitsun 1909, the citizens' association took care of the operation of the indoor swimming pool. On April 1, 1934, the city of Friedberg took over the swimming pool by purchasing the remaining shares and ran it on its own.
In 1963, many Art Nouveau elements of the swimming pool fell victim to an alleged "modernization". Murals, such as the eleven meter wide and five meter high "wave games" by Friedberg drawing teacher Ludwig Roth on the front, the large granite fountain with the faun-like grimace and the three frogs at the non-swimmer's pool, the 30 "undressing cells made of knot-free fir wood", the wooden ticket booth and the small fountain in the foyer have been removed, windows, some of which are made of stained glass , have been replaced by glass blocks. Most of the old baths were removed. Their use declined as more and more houses and apartments got their own bathroom.
In the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, many people from Friedberg and the surrounding area came to swim in the old indoor pool. After the cities of Friedberg and Bad Nauheim had built a joint leisure pool at the end of the 1970s, the Friedberg indoor pool was closed on June 1, 1980. It degenerated and deteriorated. In 1985 it was placed under monument protection as a “monument to civic community” and could therefore not be demolished.
During the long vacancy from 1980 onwards, Friedberger Bürger pursued the goal of renovating and reusing the Art Nouveau building, including as a cultural facility for the city and the Wetterau , as cultural events only took place in the Friedberger Stadthalle. There was no small stage with a special character.
After various initiatives in the 1990s, committed citizens founded the Gesellschaft der Freunde Theater Altes Hallenbad Friedberg / Wetterau e. V. "From citizens for citizens: that was the motto of the old indoor swimming pool in Friedberg, Hessen from the beginning". In September 2008, a non-profit GmbH was founded with the association as the sole shareholder. After negotiations with the city of Friedberg, the old indoor swimming pool was handed over to the company under a heritable building right contract in November 2009 for a period of 66 years. With the help of the city as well as association contributions, donations and public funds, the first necessary renovation work (draining the cellar) could be started. In 2010 there was an architects' competition that laid the planning foundations for the fundamental renovation of the Art Nouveau building in close cooperation with the monument protection department and for the conversion of the old indoor swimming pool into a theater. Extensive renovation and reconstruction work took place, the swimming pool was covered, and the large hall was created.
present
The old indoor swimming pool has been used as a cultural facility since 2013, despite ongoing construction work. The Hessian State Office for Monument Preservation , the German Foundation for Monument Protection , the Federal Republic of Germany and the City of Friedberg as well as private individuals and companies support the further restoration and renovation of the building, based on the originals. The work is expected to be completed in 2023.
From June 15 to 23, 2013, the first "Culture Week Theater Altes Hallenbad" premiered. Today the association-internal culture working group puts together a program with around 80 events per year under the title “Kulturtaucher”. A highlight is an annual opera as an in-house production by members of the association with its own orchestra and choir. In addition, there is the cooperation with the independent Friedberger theater group "Heldentheater". Classic and popular concerts, cabaret, cabaret, lectures and programs for children round off the program. In addition, the Theater Altes Hallenbad works with the Friedberg Music School on the “International Guitar Days” with musicians from all over the world.
Numerous Friedberg institutions use the theater for events, private celebrations are also possible.
literature
- Festschrift for the opening of the municipal swimming pool Friedberg (Hessen) Whitsun 1909, Verlag der Neue Tageszeitung, Friedberg, 1909
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b New daily newspaper of June 8, 1909
- ↑ a b Festschrift for the opening of the municipal swimming pool Friedberg (Hessen) Whitsun 1909, Verlag der Neue Tageszeitung, Friedberg, 1909
- ↑ Wetterauer Zeitung of January 20, 1979
- ↑ Wetterauer Zeitung of June 26, 1981
- ↑ Monuments - Magazine for Monument Culture, February 2020