Berlin: Theater des Westens

Country: Germany (Deutschland)
State: Berlin
City: Berlin
Location: Charlottenburg, Kantstraße 9-12

Built 1895-1896 by Bernhard Sehring as a private theatre for "Theater des Westens GmbH" (Bernhard Sehring and Paul Blumenreich). Opened 1 Oct 1896 with Holger Drachmann's fairytale drama "Tausendundeine Nacht". From 1898, used as an opera theatre. Re-opened 15 Sep 1898 with Meyerbeer's "Les Huguenots". From 1909 used as an operetta theatre. Damaged by a fire on 25 Aug 1912, subsequently rebuilt. 1921-1923 basement used by the cabaret "Wilde Bühne". From 1922, used as opera theatre by the "Große Volksoper" company. Closed 1924. 1933 re-opened as "Volksoper", a part of the Nazi "Kraft durch Freude" programme (also known as "Ley-Haus" after the "Kraft durch Freude" director, Robert Ley). Closed 1944. Auditorium roof damaged, technical wing destroyed in World War II. 1945 auditorium roof provisionally rebuilt. From 1945, home to the "Städtische Oper" company. 1950 foyer rebuilding to simplified designs by F. H. Sobotka and G. Müller. Since 1961, used as an operetta and musical theatre after the "Städtische Oper" company had moved to the new "Deutsche Oper Berlin". Re-opened 1 Oct 1961 with Loewe's "My fair Lady". 1962 modernization and rebuilding. 1978 modernization of stage technology. Re-opened as a musical theatre with Kander's "Cabaret". 1981-1982 rebuilding of the auditorium roof to Sehring's original design. 1984 restoration of auditorium and foyers to Sehring's original designs. New auditorium ceiling painting by Manfred Blessmann. 1988 exterior restoration. Since 2011 officially named "Stage Theater des Westens".

Notable world premieres:

  • Leon Jessel: Die beiden Husaren (6 Feb 1913)
  • Jean Gilbert: Die Frau im Hermelin (23 Aug 1919)
  • Leon Jessel: Schwalbenhochzeit (28 Jan 1921)
  • Eduard Künneke: Die lockende Flamme (27 Dec 1933)
  • Walter Wilhelm Goetze: Der goldene Pierrot (31 Mar 1934)
  • Werner Egk: Circe (18 Dec 1948)
  • Boris Blacher: Ein preußisches Märchen (23 Sep 1952)
  • Luigi Nono: Der rote Mantel (20 Sep 1954)
  • Hans Werner Henze: König Hirsch (23 Sep 1956)
  • Boris Blacher: Rosamunde Floris (22 Sep 1960)
  • Rio Reiser: Robinson 2000 (30 June 1967)
  • Martin Lingnau: Der Schuh des Manitu (7 Dec 2008)

Links: www.theater-des-westens.de, EUTA, Wikipedia

Berlin: Theater des Westens Front Text: "Gruss aus Charlottenburg-Berlin", "Theater des Westens", "Bühnenhaus"
Publisher: "Kunstverlag J. Goldiner, Berlin; Dessin 9
Type: Undivided Back
Size: Classic
Sent: from Berlin to Groß Lafferde, 1898

Berlin: Theater des Westens Front Text: signed: "Carl Jander Berlin"
Handwritten Front Text: "Theater des Westens, Charlottenburg"
Type: Undivided Back
Size: Classic
Sent: from Berlin to Wiesbaden, 1901

Berlin: Theater des Westens Front Text: "Gruss aus dem Grand Restaurant Theater des Westens, Inhaber Hermann Bachmann", above left and right: "Theatergarten" [theatre garden], below: "Eingang zum Garten" [garden entrance]
Publisher: Verlag Georg Kaminsky Nachf., Berlin
Type: Undivided Back
Size: Classic
Sent: within Berlin, 1902

Berlin: Theater des Westens Front Text: "Gruss aus Charlottenburg", "Secession", "Theater des Westens"
Publisher: Verlag Wilhelm Greve, Berlin; No. 58
Type: Undivided Back
Size: Classic
Sent: from Berlin to Hof/Saale, 1903

Berlin: Theater des Westens Front Text: "Berlin 51", "Theater des Westens"
Publisher: Goens & Nau, Berlin
Type: Undivided Back
Size: Classic
Sent: from Berlin to Bruxelles (Belgium), 1904

Berlin: Theater des Westens Front Text: "Gruß aus dem Theater-Restaurant des Westens"
Type: Undivided Back
Size: Classic
Sent: from Berlin to Düsseldorf, 1904

Berlin: Theater des Westens Front Text: "Theater des Westens, Café des Westens"
Handwritten Front Text: dated 9 Jan 1905
Publisher: L. Saalfeld, Berlin; 598
Type: Undivided Back
Size: Classic
Sent: from Berlin to Harsleben bei Halberstadt [postmark removed]

Berlin: Theater des Westens Front Text: "Charlottenburg", "Theater des Westens"
Publisher: A. D. & Co.; 5013
Type: Divided Back
Size: Classic
Not sent.

Berlin: Theater des Westens Front Text: "Berlin, Theater des Westens"
Publisher: A. Sternberg, Hamburg; 17595
Type: Moonlight Card; Divided Back
Size: Classic
Sent: from Berlin to München, 1912

Berlin: Theater des Westens Picture: left: Delphi-Filmpalast cinema, right: Theater des Westens
Front Text: "Berlin, Städt Oper Kantstraße", film poster: advertising the 1953 film "Skandal im Mädchenpensionat"
Publisher: Verlag H. Maschke, Belrin-Hermsdorf; Berolina-Karte 19
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Berlin: Theater des Westens Front Text: inscription: "Hanc domum artis colendae causa condidit anno MDCCCLXXXXVI Bernhard Sehring"
Reverse Text:
Publisher: Theater des Westens, Berlin
Type: Advertisment Card with pre-printed ticket order form
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Berlin: Theater des Westens Reverse Text: "Theater des Westens zwischen Zoo und Kurfürstendamm spielt ganzjährig Operetten und Musicals - erbaut 1896 von Bernhardt Sehring"
Publisher: Theater des Westens, Berlin
Type: Souvenir Card (not intended for postal use)
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Berlin: Theater des Westens Reverse Text: "Nostalgisches Berlin. Kaiserliche Impressionen rund um das Theater des Westens"
Publisher: Berliner Morgenpost
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Berlin: Theater des Westens Picture: left: Delphi-Filmpalast cinema, right: Theater des Westens after the 1982 roof restoration
Reverse Text: "Theater des Westens"
Publisher: Ute + Bernd Eickemeyer, Berlin; Berlin Nr. B91
Type: Moonlight Card
Size: Modern
Not sent.

Berlin: Theater des Westens Telephone Card (3 DM; O 1029 06.95 2.000 DTMe)
Front Text: "Theater des Westens, Das Musical-Theater in Berlin, Intendanz Helmut Baumann, Kantstraße 12, 10623 Berlin"
Reverse Text: advertising "Blue Jeans - Eine Unterhaltungsrevue für die ganze Familie" [premiered in 1995]

Berlin: Theater des Westens Picture: view from the stage into the auditorium
Front Text: "Wohltuender Genuss für Hals und Stimme", "Ricola Kräuter-Karamell"
Publisher: Ricola, Laufen (Switzerland)
Type: Advertisement Card, not designed for postal use
Size: Modern

For other postcards of this theatre, see Berlin: Cards showing various theatres.

Permanent link: https://www.andreas-praefcke.de/carthalia/id/1696

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