This theatre, inaugurated in 1802 in the then fashionable spa Bad Lauchstaedt, is one of the most important memorial places of the life and works of the great German poet and playwright Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832). The architect Heinrich Gentz designed the building according to the poet’s ideas: in its functional simplicity and modernity the essence of bourgeois theatres of the time. The ducal theatre troupe from Weimar, directed by Goethe, performed here for many years, presenting enlightened drama as well as opera. Today, the originally preserved building is the venue for about 50 performances from April to October, featuring mostly classic German drama and Mozart’s operas. A technical highlight is the reconstructed stage machinery below and above the stage: it allows performing scene changes like in Goethe’s days. Authentic furniture is on display in the green room and in other buildings in the historic spa gardens.

 

Visits: Tue–Sun 10:30,14:00,16:00 (April–Oct); Mon–Sun on appointment (Nov–March); 10:30 only on rehearsal or performance days. Groups on appointment only.

Tue–Sun 10:30,14:00,16:00 (April–Oct); Mon–Sun on appointment (Nov–March); 10:30 only on rehearsal or performance days. Groups on appointment only.