Theater im Marienbad

Can a swimming pool become a stage? Here at the Theater im Marienbad, it absolutely did. The Theater im Marienbad is more than just a theater. It’s a transformed space, a testament to Freiburg’s ever-evolving spirit. This building began its life in 1902, not as a stage for actors, but as a public bath, the Marienbad. Designed by architect Joseph Ruh, it was a beautiful example of Art Nouveau architecture. Imagine a place where people came not for plays, but for swimming lessons, water gymnastics, and even medicinal baths. The Marienbad offered steam baths, massage salons, and a strict separation of genders by scheduled bathing times. The heating for all this came from a coal-fired oven, the very same oven that once powered the neighborhood. Running a public bath proved challenging financially. By 1924, the city of Freiburg took over the Marienbad after years of providing substantial subsidies. In 1938, a large hall and a second, bigger pool were added. Today, this very hall, with its nearly 400 square meters and a surrounding gallery, serves as the home and exhibition space for the Kunstverein Freiburg. The smaller pool was primarily used by soldiers during World War II. The Marienbad eventually closed its doors as a bathhouse in the early 1970s. It was then briefly used by a theater troupe. Public outcry led to a short-lived reopening in 1984, but by 1985, the Marienbad closed its doors as a swimming pool for good. Its transformation into the Theater im Marienbad began in 1989. It became the permanent home of the Freiburg Children and Youth Theater, led by Dieter Kümmel. Kümmel, who had previously worked at Freiburg’s Wallgraben-Theater, founded a new acting group in 1978. This Art Nouveau gem, once echoing with splashes and laughter, now resonates with applause and dramatic performances. The Theater im Marienbad offers a diverse program in its two performance spaces. The main stage, called the “Szenenraum,” occupies the former swimming pool area. The former boiler room, the “Kesselhaus,” became a second stage in 2002. The Theater im Marienbad continues to evolve. While its history is etched into its walls, its future is being written with every performance. The building stands as a reminder that even the most utilitarian spaces can be transformed into places of art and inspiration.