“A phoenix from the ashes they say” whispered an old woman leaning against the Volkstheater Rostock’s wall. The Volkstheater stands proudly a testament to resilience. It’s a story woven into the very bricks. Before World War II the Stadttheater Rostock held the stage. A beautiful building. Opened in 1895 it was tragically destroyed in an air raid in 1942. Silence fell then. The curtain closed.
But the city needed its theatre. It needed the Volkstheater Rostock. So in 1951 the Philharmonie a concert hall home to the Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock was transformed. It became the new home for the Volkstheater. The Philharmonie itself has a rich history. Initially a restaurant and dance hall it was repurposed. The building itself underwent renovations. Its new function demanded more varied performance spaces.
This repurposed building the Theater im Stadthafen is one of three venues that make up the Volkstheater today. The others are the Grosses Haus and the Kleine Komödie. The Volkstheater isn’t just plays. It offers musical theatre opera ballet and orchestral concerts. There’s even a children’s theatre and a youth club. It is a vibrant hub for the city.
The Volkstheater’s story doesn’t end there. Its history is marked by both triumphs and struggles. During the DDR era it became a prominent theatre. Under the leadership of Generalintendant Hanns Anselm Perten and Chefdramaturg Kurt Barthel it presented a politically charged yet open-minded repertoire. The DDR’s first performance of Peter Weiss’s Marat/Sade was a highlight. It earned international acclaim. It was even released as a record. The collective received the Fatherlandic Order of Merit in Gold.
After reunification challenges arose. The Kleine Haus Intimes Theater and other smaller venues closed. The Theater im Stadthafen a temporary space was also used. Financial difficulties and changes in leadership were common. There were even plans to transform it into an opera house.
The Volkstheater faced near closure in 2011 when its main venue the Grosses Haus was closed due to fire safety concerns. An online performance of Effi Briest reached a global audience demonstrating the theatre’s reach and adaptability.
Today the Volkstheater continues to thrive. It’s a reminder of Rostock’s cultural heart. Its resilience mirrors the city’s own. The Volkstheater Rostock a symbol of the past and a beacon of the future. It’s much more than a building. It’s a vibrant heart of the community.