Schauspiel Stuttgart

The Württemberg State Theatres Stuttgart are a three-division theatre, consisting of the Stuttgart State Opera, the Stuttgart Ballet and the Stuttgart Drama, in the Baden-Württemberg state capital of Stuttgart. The neoclassical theatre buildings in the Oberer Schlossgarten — the Großes Haus for opera and the Kleines Haus for drama — were built from 1909 to 1912 by King Wilhelm II to designs by the architect Max Littmann as the Württemberg court theatres. The Kleines Haus was damaged in the Second World War, then demolished and replaced in 1962 by a modernist new building. The Großes Haus was rebuilt in 1956 and restored in 1984. With around 1,400 employees and 500,000 spectators, the Württemberg State Theatres are the largest three-division theatre in Europe. Since the 17th century, opera, ballet and drama performances were given in Stuttgart in the ballroom of the Neues Lusthaus. The Singspiel Der Raub der Proserpina (1660) by the Stuttgart court conductor Samuel Capricornus is regarded as the first opera performance. On the night of 19 to 20 January 1902 the old royal court theatre burned down. As early as October 1902 the Royal Interim Theatre opened as a temporary venue, serving until the new theatre buildings opened in 1912. Today the Baden-Württemberg state parliament stands on that site.