Theater Aachen: A Cultural Gem

Theater Aachen, located on Theaterplatz, is the main stage for a variety of cultural performances in Aachen, Germany. The theater presents operas, musicals, plays, and concerts, and is home to the Sinfonieorchester Aachen. The original theater was designed by Johann Peter Cremer, with modifications by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, and opened in 1825. The building suffered extensive damage during a bomb attack in 1943 during World War II. Only the portico and foyer remained. The theater was rebuilt after the war according to the plans of Cremer and Seeling, and it reopened in 1951 with a performance of Richard Wagner's *Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg*. The theater's history dates back to 1751, with Aachen's first public theater, the Komödienhaus am Katschhof, designed by Johann Joseph Couven. As the demands on the Komödienhaus increased, plans for a new theater emerged in the early 19th century. Construction began in 1822, with Schinkel adding the classicist portico and the gable. Today, only the column portico remains from the original building. The relief in the tympanum was made by Wilhelm Josef Imhoff based on a design by Schinkel, depicting a genius presenting wreaths of fame to two muses. Performances take place on the main stage, which seats 730, or in the small chamber, which seats 168. Chamber music performances are held in the Spiegelfoyer, while large symphony concerts usually take place in the Eurogress Aachen. The Mörgens, an external venue with 99 seats, is also part of Theater Aachen and typically hosts productions by young directors, youth theater, crossover projects, readings, and game and film evenings.