The Oldenburg State Theatre, a magnificent neo-baroque building with a monumental dome and classical columned portal, rises up in the center of Oldenburg - the city's landmark and cultural hub.
As Oldenburg's oldest theater, the building can look back on a long tradition: operations began in 1833 in a wooden building, and the current structure from 1893 was preceded by a fire. The reconstruction followed the model of the original design, supplemented by modern fire protection measures including a water dome above the stage - central to the function of the building to this day. Today, the theater is a six-section house that offers opera, drama, ballet, concerts, musicals, children's and youth theater, Low German drama and experimental formats at four venues. It thus serves a broad audience from the entire northwest.
View of the "Great House" of the Oldenburg State Theater © Mario Dirks
The main auditorium has a capacity of around 540 plus additional standing room and concert seating. The Kleines Haus can accommodate up to 350 spectators and is also home to the Niederdeutsche Bühne. The Spielraum, a studio studio with around 80 seats, and the two stages in the historic Exerzierhalle at Pferdemarkt (each with around 100 seats) complement the ensemble for contemporary and experimental theater.
The theater employs around 450 people and stages around 30 premieres and over 25 concerts each season. A particular concern is the Theater of Change: employees develop environmentally friendly concepts for operations, mobility, energy and sustainability with a view to social responsibility. The central location on Theaterwall blends harmoniously into the urban ensemble, close to culture, gastronomy and urban infrastructure.
