Ever wondered about the story behind this building? This is the Scheunen des Klostergutes in Dresden. It’s more than just barns you see before you. This unassuming structure has witnessed history unfold. Originally a youth club it wasn’t always known as the Scheune. In the 1950s it almost bore a very different name. The rumor is that the building was intended to be named after Walter Ulbricht. The East German leader however supposedly rejected the idea with the dismissive words This barn I will not give my name to. That’s how the Scheune its current name got its name.
The Scheunen des Klostergutes was built in 1951. It was designed by architect Herbert Schneider. The building was constructed using traditional methods. A sandstone-plaster facade was added giving it a style characteristic of Socialist Classicism. Inside it housed a multipurpose hall. This hall seated 140 people. Five smaller rooms each with 120 seats were also present. It was given to the Free German Youth FDJ as a youth club.
The Scheune was originally designed as a place for education and leisure. Young people learned useful skills like cooking and sewing. There were also clubs for film photography and music. By the end of the 1950s dance evenings were held. These were specifically for young couples and those who wanted to be. Gradually the Scheune started hosting a broader range of events. A song club a jazz forum and a rock podium were added. An in-house ensemble of young talents was also formed. A restaurant was incorporated in the mid-1960s.
The Scheunen des Klostergutes truly became a bustling cultural hub in the early 1980s. Under the leadership of Gunther Neustadt it hosted readings cabaret performances folk hip-hop and punk. Its popularity grew beyond Dresden’s city limits. This gave the Scheune a special place in the cultural landscape of East Germany. The staff both paid and volunteer enjoyed a certain freedom.
After 1989 many new clubs opened in Dresden. But the Scheune operated by the Scheune e V since 2007 continues to thrive. It remains a significant part of the regional cultural scene. Almost daily there were concerts theater cabaret film and parties. Since 2022 the Scheune has been undergoing renovations. A temporary venue the Blechschloss a modular container building was even created to continue cultural and community activities. This temporary solution was even nominated for the Saxon State Prize for Building Culture in 2022. The renovations are expected to be completed in the summer of 2026. The Scheunen des Klostergutes in Dresden is more than just a renovated building it is a living testament to the ever evolving culture of Dresden.