Württemberg State Theater Esslingen

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View of the theater of the Württemberg state theater in Esslingen

The Württembergische Landesbühne Esslingen (WLB Esslingen) in Esslingen am Neckar is a theater with a long tradition. As a state theater , the WLB is obliged to play around half of its performances outside of the headquarters.

history

prehistory

Peter Florenz Ilgner , who had already practiced theater in several other German cities such as Würzburg and Cologne, wanted to build a theater in Esslingen in 1772 and was abruptly rejected. In 1781 the princess Hochkirchin was unfriendly turned away from an actor company from Nördlingen when she wanted to "build a theater".

When the community organized in rigid guilds disappeared at the end of the time of the imperial city, something like a bourgeois spirit could develop. In 1804 the first permanent stage was set up in Esslingen on Ottilienplatz in the former Aegidienkapelle, on which only simple pieces were played at first. She didn't have a permanent ensemble yet.

In 1863 the theater building company was founded. As early as January 3, 1864, the new venue, a converted tithe barn, opened in Strohstraße. It offered space for 644 spectators. Renovations and technical improvements made the building able to remain Esslingen's city theater for more than 100 years.

From 1900 to 1925 Mathilde Erfurth was theater director in Esslingen. She and her ensemble succeeded the Royal Court Theater in Stuttgart, which previously performed regularly in Esslingen. During the First World War, the Esslingen Theater was temporarily closed, but it resumed theater in 1918. The annual seasons lasted between six and ten weeks. The program included operas, operettas and plays. Since the income in Esslingen was not enough, the actors' fees had to be increased with engagements throughout southern Germany. Sometimes Mathilde Erfurth even organized charity events for individual actors.

From the Schwäbische Volksbühne to the Württembergische Landesbühne

After the First World War , the Swabian Volksbühne was founded in 1919 as a department of the "Association for the Promotion of Popular Education eV Stuttgart", financed equally by Robert Bosch (personally) and the state of Württemberg . As the opening performance of the new touring stage under the artistic direction of Ernst Martin, Friedrich Schiller's Kabale und Liebe was given on September 20, 1919 in Göppingen . In 1921 it was renamed the Württembergische Volksbühne, at that time it still had no permanent seat. The Volksbühne brought the general population, also and especially in the province, which is free of theater, to enjoy contemporary drama and classic performances. In 1921 a dungeon was purchased as a stage decoration "to increase the theatrical effect and to promote that watching affect" . Other decorations included five rocks, a snow landscape and several room furnishings.

Ensemble members were temporarily u. a. Attila Hörbiger , Gustav Fröhlich , Hilde Körber and Gerhard Storz , as well as Hilde Jary , later wife of Hans Detlef Sierck, who called himself Douglas Sirk after his emigration in the USA in 1937 , and Meta Wolff and Joachim Gottschalk , who committed suicide in 1941.

The Esslinger Stadttheater was facing economic failure in 1925. Although Mathilde Erfurth was artistically successful with her troupe, her contract was not extended beyond 1925 by resolution of the local council and the theater was closed. In July 1926 it was decided to open the theater of the Volksbühnengemeinde Esslingen e. V., which quickly grew to over 1000 members, was left to its own responsibility. The Volksbühnengemeinde Esslingen, for its part, now signed the Württembergische Volksbühne for at least 48 performances from the 1926/27 season onwards. The opening of the newly renovated city theater was on November 6, 1926 with Friedrich Schiller's Kabale und Liebe . In March and April of this year, the Württembergische Volksbühne made its first guest appearance in Esslingen with overwhelming success.

As a result, the Esslingen City Theater became the main venue and headquarters of the Württemberg Volksbühne. Nevertheless, the character of a touring stage was retained. For the 1928/29 season, the Württembergische Volksbühne recorded 360 performances, 65 of them in Esslingen itself, of 20 pieces in 42 cities. The catchment area extended to Vorarlberg.

In the course of the “Gleichschaltung” under the Nazi regime, the Württembergische Volksbühne was dissolved in 1933 and re-established as the Württembergische Landesbühne. In September 1944 operations were stopped due to the war. In 1945 the Württembergische Landesbühne was the first theater in Germany to be granted a theater license again, still under the direction of the anthroposophical Gottfried Haaß-Berkow .

In 1953 Wilhelm List-Diehl became director, followed by Joachim von Groeling in 1963 and Elert Bode in 1970 .

Achim Thorwald was artistic director from 1976 to 1985 . In 1981 he was one of the first theaters in Germany to set up a separate division for children's and youth theater, the Junge WLB (director: Susanna Kartusch ; in-house director: Mauro Guindani ); Paul Maar was at times an in- house author.

In 1977 the city and the state decided to rebuild the theater building. In 1979 the old building was demolished and the WLB found alternative accommodation in Berkheim's Osterfeldhalle. The new theater was inaugurated in the summer of 1982 (architect: Hans-Rolf Sommer). In addition to the large hall with 461 seats, Podiums I and II are used for smaller productions and for the children's and youth theater of the Junge WLB. The studio at Blarerplatz is also used by the Junge WLB.

From 1985 to 1989 Friedrich Schirmer was artistic director. His concept of regionally rooted pieces, piece excavations and 19 world premieres in four years (including by Fitzgerald Kusz , Otto Junggeburth , Manfred Meihöfer , Elke Heidenreich , Martin Schleker junior, Horst Brandstätter) attracted national attention as a "stage miracle on the Neckar".

On the initiative of Friedrich Schirmer, a former school building from the 1950s was converted for the theater on the Zollberg in 1988 (and opened in 1990). Today it houses the Theater am Zollberg, a venue for special events, rehearsal rooms, workshops, the vehicle fleet and storage rooms.

Jürgen Flügge headed the theater from 1989 to 1993 . In four years there were six world premieres and nine German premieres.

Heidemarie Rohweder was director of the house from 1993 to 1998 , her successor was Peter Dolder . In his first season, Peter Dolder was confronted with the state's plans to close the WLB. He succeeded in an overwhelming civic action in conjunction with the Lord Mayor Jürgen Zieger and the key politicians of all Esslingen municipal council groups to avert the impending closure of the WLB for a short time. In 2004 Manuel Soubeyrand took over the management. In the same year Marco Suess became head of the Junge WLB, the children's and youth theater division, which, after being dissolved under Jürgen Flügge in favor of an integrated model, was re-established with its own ensemble. From the 2014/2015 season, Soubeyrand was succeeded by Friedrich Schirmer as artistic director - again in this position.

The WLB today

Since the beginning of the 2019/20 season, Schirmer and his chief dramaturge, Marcus Grube, have shared the management and form a dual leadership.

Contemporary pieces and classics, musical productions and pieces for young people and children are played. Every year a play is presented as an open-air performance in the old town of Esslingen, alternately in Maille Park in front of the Inner Bridge and on Georg-Christian-von-Kessler- Platz next to the St. Dionys town church .

As a state stage , the WLB not only plays its seat in Esslingen, but is also on the road with side trips throughout Baden-Württemberg and beyond that in Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

With around 20 new productions per season plus a proven repertoire, the ensembles of the WLB play over 750 performances annually, which attracted a total of almost 570,000 spectators in the five seasons from 2014/2015 to 2018/2019. There is also a wide range of educational theater programs. In the 2018/2019 season, WLB Esslingen achieved its second-best result in 30 years with a total of 113,221 spectators in Esslingen and at the detour locations. In addition, there are 7,977 participants in the diverse educational theater offers at the Landesbühne.

On September 20, 2019, the WLB celebrated its 100th birthday with a new production of Friedrich Schiller's Kabale und Liebe in Göppingen.

Due to corona rules, shortened to 75 minutes and actors sitting at a distance, the WLB premiered Philipp Löhle's net world comedy “Die Mitwisser” in a production by director Christof Küster on July 11, 2020 . The concept proved to be viable and "enjoyable". The brevity sharpens the dynamic of the text, with which the successful Swiss author hits the zeitgeist precisely, judged the theater critic Elisabeth Maier.

Directors

Ernst Martin (1919–1922)
Adolf Barth (1922-1924)
Herbert Maisch (1924–1926)
Hans Herbert Michels (1926–1932)
Otto Schwarz (March – May 1933)
Gottfried Haaß-Berkow (1933–1953)
Wilhelm List-Diehl (1953–1963)
Joachim von Groeling (1963–1970)
Elert Bode (1970–1976)
Achim Thorwald (1976–1985)
Friedrich Schirmer (1985–1989)
Jürgen Flügge (1989–1993)
Heidemarie Rohweder (1993–1998)
Peter Dolder (1998-2004)
Manuel Soubeyrand (2004–2014)
Friedrich Schirmer (2014-2019)
Friedrich Schirmer and Marcus Grube (since September 1, 2019)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ For the history of the Volksbühne see Joachim J. Halbekann: From the Schwäbische Volksbühne to the Württembergische Landesbühne Esslingen. Public education through state-sponsored artistic traveling theater 1919 to 1933. Festschrift 100 Years of the Württemberg State Theater Esslingen. Esslingen 2019
  2. ↑ 10 years of the Württemberg Volksbühne. Festschrift for the 10th anniversary. Stuttgart 1929. Reprint 2019
  3. ↑ Friedhelm Röttger: Gottfried Haaß-Berkow
  4. ^ Friedhelm Röttger: Wilhelm List-Diehl
  5. ^ Friedhelm Röttger: Joachim von Groeling
  6. ^ Friedhelm Röttger: Elert Bode
  7. ^ History of children and youth theater in Baden-Württemberg
  8. ↑ Thomas Krazeisen: From the theater scourer to the state stage. In: Theater-Zeitung. 100 years of the Württemberg State Theater. Esslingen 2019
  9. ↑ Young WLB in: Working Group Young Theater Baden-Württemberg
  10. ↑ Double leadership from 2019/20 onwards at WLB Esslingen , press release from October 18, 2018
  11. ↑ Die Mitwisser - Württembergische Landesbühne Esslingen - Christof Küster stages Philipp Löhle , nachtkritik.de of July 12, 2020, accessed July 15, 2020

Coordinates: 48 ° 44 ′ 26.6 "  N , 9 ° 18 ′ 32.6"  E