Yes, there is “a bottleneck” on the way to resolving the renovation backlog of Munich’s cultural buildings, admits Markus Blume. And this manifests itself in the question of the interim location for the University of Music, the Residence Theater and the Bavarian State Opera, just to list the fattest camels that are queuing on this street – and to remain in the image of the Minister of Art. In some cases, the dilapidated substance of these cultural buildings, which are central to the whole of Bavaria, has been recognized as a problem for decades. After being entrusted with the ministerial office in the last legislative period, Markus Blume (CSU) proclaimed what he called a “cultural cascade”. It provides for the renovations to be carried out in a fixed, logical order staggered according to urgency.
At the top of the list are the University of Music, which is located in the former Führer building from the Nazi era, and the Residenztheater. Both houses have outdated technical systems. In the case of the music college, water damage, power supply problems and, as a result, lesson cancellations regularly occur. The frequency of incidents is increasing – how quickly can be calculated statistically. For many systems there are no longer any spare parts, let alone valid maintenance contracts. The same applies to the Residenztheater.
If these houses are closed for general renovation, alternative locations must not only be found for the performance halls – which also play an important role for aspiring musicians in acquiring performance practice and not only for state actors – but also for offices or workshops and rehearsal stages or rehearsal rooms. There have been conflicts in the past between the University of Music and the Residenztheater, which share the site of a former bed factory on Frankenthaler Strasse in Giesing, to which certain areas have been outsourced. In order to remedy this situation, the new rehearsal and workshop center for the Residenztheater on Hohenlindener Straße is currently being built.
The Prinzregententheater is intended to serve as an alternative location – for a lot of things
But neither there nor in Giesing will theater or concert goers be able to flock to have a nice evening after the main theaters close. Rather, according to Markus Blume, the Prinzregententheater is likely to become the most important alternative location for the artistic performances. But that’s where the August Everding Academy has its headquarters, and its students also ensure a full program on the big stage on dozens of evenings a year. In addition, many private concert organizers use the theater, which is why it is now fully booked on most evenings of the year. Conflicts are programmed if solutions are not taken care of in a timely manner.
Markus Blume names 2029 as the time horizon for the start of the renovation of the Residenztheater. The earliest possible date for the subsequent general renovation of the National Theater, which is home to the Bavarian State Opera and the Bavarian State Ballet, is 2034. Where the opera should then move, which would ideally need a much larger stage , as offered by the Prinzregententheater – also because of its internationally renowned, large orchestra – is also still up in the air. The parcel post hall and the music theater stage project planned there by building contractor Ralf Büschl have been discussed in the past, but never officially.
State Minister for Science and Art Markus Blume at the opening of the 2023 Opera Festival.
(Photo: Florian Peljak/Florian Peljak)
What will happen with Büschl’s private-sector project in times of tense economic conditions and higher interest rates is, of course, up in the air, as is the future of another state-run project: the concert hall in the Werksviertel. Could it be finished before the opera closes? Nobody in the state parliament is asking the question specifically this Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Green Party’s cultural policy spokeswoman, Sanne Kurz, complained some time ago that “who actually asks what needs each of the affected cultural institutions in this cascade really has?” Judging by the number of department heads from the ministry who accompanied Blume to this appointment in the state parliament, this should also have happened by now.