The Mecklenburg State Theatre

It has carried its name since 1926, but the history of the Mecklenburg State Theatre actually goes back to 1563. Duke Johann Albrecht I appointed the Kapellmeister David Köler as court Kapellmeister. He was to found a court chapel. This is considered to be the origin of today's Mecklenburg State Orchestra and later led to more extensive playing and the construction of a building at the Old Garden.

Today's Mecklenburg State Theatre emerged from various influences. Actor Conrad Ekhof - referred to as the father of German dramatic art - founded the first German theatre academy in Schwerin in 1753 together with others. The musical scene was also changing at the time. In 1767, the Mecklenburg-Schwerin court orchestra had to move for 70 years, to its new residence town of Ludwigslust. Here operas were presented. Then "Harmonie" came into play. That was the name of the nine-member chapel founded by Friedrich Franz I of Mecklenburg at the beginning of the 19th century. It finally merged with the already existing court orchestra in 1839. The following year, 150 orchestral musicians and 340 choristers performed at the Second German Music Festival in Schwerin.

Finally, a new building was constructed at the Old Garden: the "Grand Ducal Court Theatre" was completed in 1886 and renamed as the State Theatre in 1918. Since 1926 it has been called the "Mecklenburg State Theatre". The curtain rose until 31 August 1944, when Reich Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels ordered the closure of all theatres. Apart from that, the theatre was not affected by the Second World War, nothing was destroyed. This made it possible to resume performances immediately after the war.

Six sections, nostalgia, modern technology and open air - the Mecklenburg State Theatre is versatile and first-class

Anyone visiting the Mecklenburg State Theatre - a six-section theatre - today is greeted by the red carpet in the foyer and breathes the theatre flair of the 19th century. The "Great Hall" lets you dive into a long-gone era: red velvet chairs, stucco and gold ornaments, a huge ceiling chandelier. What comes across here as dignified, historical and nostalgic is accompanied backstage by state-of-the-art technology. And: the costume collection is huge. Around 45,000 individual items - from shoes to dresses and suits to belts and umbrellas - are carefully sorted here and will make an appearance every now and then, as long as the stage play fits and the fabric is not worn out. There are plenty of opportunities, because numerous new productions surprise theatre fans every year.

Around 200,000 spectators’ stream to the performances every year. The Great House seats 550, and 240 music lovers can take their seats in the magnificent concert foyer. Matinees and readings also take place here.
But the Mecklenburg State Theatre does not only raise the curtain in the Great House. There are two other venues on the Pfaffenteich: The E-Werk and the E-Werk Studio. The Mecklenburg State Theatre also plays in Parchim: the curtains open in the theatre restaurant, in the Mal Hall and in the Great Hall of the Stadthalle. And: the conversion of the Eldemühle into the Kulturmühle has begun. It will become a modern home for the Fritz Reuter Stage and the Young State Theatre.

The recent history of the Mecklenburg State Theatre

The Mecklenburg State Theatre is now a limited liability company. More than 70 per cent of its funding comes from the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the district of Parchim and the state capital Schwerin.
A special attraction at the end of each season has been the Castle Festival since 1993. Then the State Theatre is open air, offers a very special flair and guarantees a unique theatrical experience - as long as the weather plays along just as well, of course. In recent years, visitors from Schwerin and abroad have seen, for example, "Freischütz", Dracula, Tosca, Westside Story, AIDA, Anatevka and Titanic. The success of the Verdi opera AIDA with real elephants in the ensemble and 70,000 spectators is still unbroken today.

About the Style
Court architect Georg Daniel combined elements of the French and Italian Renaissance in the style of historicism in the new theatre building. The historicist theatre building is staggered into the depth of the space in order to reduce the proximity to the museum as much as possible. As with its predecessor, its important show axis is related to the castle and the castle lake. The east side of the theatre is a glazed loggia with a terrace and forecourt, providing an entrance for the Grand Duke. The corners of the building are accentuated by risalite vaulted by domes. They are echoed in the design of the stage house, which is also crowned at the corners.