Bavarian State Theater
The first Bavarian state theaters emerged from the royal court theaters. The conversion came with the revolution of 1918, the houses that had to be available exclusively for his separate performances under Ludwig II were democratized. This is also reflected, for example, in the auditorium of the Residenztheater built after the Second World War, which – instead of the old Cuvilliéstheater with its boxes and tiers – was placed next to the Nationaltheater. The elements of the Cuvilliéstheater that were not destroyed during the war were installed in the residence’s pharmacy storey. The stage there, the Marstall and the Residenztheater are today the three venues of the Bayerisches Staatsschauspiel, one of the most renowned and largest German-language theaters. As the direct legal successor of the House of Wittelsbach, the Free State is the sole sponsor and provides funds of around 32 million euros in the 2023 budget, plus around five million euros from the theater’s own income. The 50-strong ensemble gave 543 performances in Munich and 17 guest performances abroad in 2022. The number of viewers is around 200,000 annually.
Bavarian State Opera
The National Theater is considered the “cultural flagship” in Bavaria.
(Photo: Imago)
The National Theater is the stage for the Bavarian State Opera, the Bavarian State Ballet and the venue of the Bavarian State Orchestra. The Ministry of Art praises it “nationally and internationally” as the “cultural flagship of the Free State” – which refers rather incidentally to the classicist building restored after the war, but above all to the outstanding artists, some of world renown, who are engaged there, as well as to the artistic program of the same kind. As can be clearly seen here, being a state theater also means having a representative function. The National Theater has 2,101 seats, and around 600,000 guests come to more than 400 events every year. The house – like the state play, is borne solely by the Free State – is subsidized to 85 percent, the rest is own income. In 2023, the State Opera will receive 84 million euros.
State Theater at Gärtnerplatz
The Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatztheater was reopened in 2017 after five and a half years of renovation and new construction. During the interim period, the ensemble performed in alternative venues.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
The Gärtnerplatztheater, which opened in 1865 as the Volksbühne, has been a state theater since 1955 and today has a wide program ranging from opera and musicals to dance. As with the Staatsschauspiel and Staatsoper, the Free State is responsible for providing most of the funds. For the year 2023, this means 41 million euros coming from the Free State. The house expects 3.15 million euros in revenue. Around 300 performances a year can be seen in the Gärtnerplatztheater, which are attended by around 175,000 spectators.
State Theater Augsburg
The Augsburg State Theater is currently being renovated – here is a photo from 2012. The productions can be seen in the alternate venues.
(Photo: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa)
The youngest Bavarian state theater is the Augsburg. In April 2018, Markus Söder announced that Augsburg was a “metropolis” on a par with Munich and Nuremberg. Ergo, the then municipal stage was raised to the rank of state theater on September 1, 2018 – a prestigious process, as it is linked to the idea that this theater not only brings material relevant to a city society to the stage, but also far beyond the city limits shines out. The reputation and attraction of this stage are great enough to decorate the Free State, and it also fulfills an important cultural educational mission.
The house, which now has five departments – acting, musical theater, ballet, concerts and digital theater – received a grant of 24 million euros by 2018, of which 16.9 million went to the city. The state and city now each pay half, the funding has increased, for the 2022/23 season it amounts to around 31 million, plus 4.2 million euros in revenue for a theater with around 900 performances a year and around 190,000 visitors. Unlike the state theaters in Munich, the house is run as a foundation, the purpose of which is to promote the performing arts. The house responds to the advantage of being a state theatre: “The advantages lie in the greater independence due to the legal form of a foundation and in the commitment of the legal entity to securing the location and to continuously increasing artistic quality, charisma and importance.”
State Theater Nuremberg
The Nuremberg State Theater is the largest multi-sector theater in Bavaria.
(Photo: Matthias Dengler)
Until January 2005 there was the “Municipal Theater Nuremberg”, at that time by far the largest theater in Bavaria in municipal hands. The conversion into a state theater went hand in hand with the idea of decentralizing Bavarian cultural policy. In other words: a stage financed considerably by the Free State should no longer only exist in Munich, but further nationalizations were not planned, according to the Ministry of Art at the time. As later in Augsburg, the house was then transferred to a foundation, with the Free State and the city subsidizing Bavaria’s largest multi-sector house, where there will now also be a new venue for productions that combine real and virtual theater experiences. The purpose of the foundation is “the promotion of the performing arts”.
The conversion immediately affected the funds made available to the house. It was contractually assured that by 2008 the funding would be increased from eight to 15 million euros. Today, the Nuremberg State Theater receives around 42 million euros in operating grants, the total budget for 2022/23 is around 52 million euros. The house counts 290,000 visitors at around 700 events per season. “As a cultural brand, a state theater potentially has a greater appeal than a municipal theatre, which can have a positive effect on the popularity of the audience and the visibility of the house (e.g. through national media reporting). Due to the stable and equal funding by the state and city, a high-quality and diverse range of art and culture for a broad audience can be ensured,” says Nuremberg.
Würzburg and Coburg
In the series of state theaters, the stages in Würzburg and Coburg should also be mentioned. Coburg is a state theatre, but receives considerable support from the Free State due to historical obligations. Bavaria finances the house 40 percent. There is a declaration of intent for the Mainfrankentheater in Würzburg to make it a state theatre.