Staatsoper Unter den Linden

The Staatsoper Unter den Linden is the oldest opera house in Berlin and one of the defining cultural institutions of the German capital. Commissioned by Frederick the Great and designed by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff, the house opened in 1742 as the Königliche Hofoper. The current interior, the result of post-war reconstruction and a major renovation completed in 2017, restores the eighteenth-century Prussian aesthetic while providing state-of-the-art stage technology. Under the artistic leadership of Daniel Barenboim from 1992 to 2023, the house achieved world-class standing through landmark Wagner productions—including the complete Ring directed by Harry Kupfer and Guy Cassiers—and Mozart cycles that drew international attention. The Staatskapelle Berlin, founded in 1570, is one of the oldest orchestras in existence. The house's location on the historic Bebelplatz places it at the symbolic heart of Berlin, alongside the Humboldt University and the State Library.