Programme

In 1821, Berlin’s new theatre is opened in the presence of Frederick William III and his court. Tout Berlin strolls about on Gendarmenmarkt in front of its doors. Today, only one thing has changed: the guests strolling there or resting on benches and stairs come from all over the world.

Bitter interim use: where the red carpet begins today, furrows were dug between ruins in 1944 – the food supply in Berlin in the penultimate year of the war was precarious.

During World War II, bombs hit the Schauspielhaus several times. In 1945, a fire during the last days of the war completely destroyed the building, resulting in the saddest photo in the theatre’s history. It was not until 1984, after decades of twilight sleep, that the curtain was raised on the reconstructed theatre. It has delighted music and architecture lovers from all over the world ever since.

In 1977, architect Manfred Prasser and his team began to rebuild the Schauspielhaus from the ruins in the spirit of Schinkel. For seven years, they creatively studied the historic model down to the very last detail.

In order to turn the ruined theatre into a concert hall, the building was completely gutted and redesigned. One result is the Große Saal whose acoustics are universally praised. Its stage is the home of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin.

... in the Great Hall are the chandeliers: 14 of them, each weighing 540 kg and fitted with a total of 672 LED lightbulbs! They are securely anchored into the ceiling superstructure.

Back then it was called the Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester; today it is called the Konzerthausorchester Berlin. Initially the orchestra had to wait a long time for its own venue. Now it has been at home in the Konzerthaus Berlin for over 35 years – a happy solution for everyone, musicians and audience alike! The celebratory inauguration was the opening concert on 1 October 1984.

We have a god on the roof – Apollo, naturally, the patron saint of the arts, who sails along with his lyre high above our heads. The grand entrance of a god includes mythical beasts in front of the chariot – two winged lions, or griffins.