Volkstheater

The Volkstheater is one of the largest spoken-drama theatres in the German-speaking world and a central stage in Vienna. Founded in 1889 as a middle-class counterpart to the imperial Burgtheater – driven notably by figures such as the writer Ludwig Anzengruber – it was meant to reach a broad audience with popular, socially critical theatre. The magnificent auditorium in the style of the Ringstrasse era seats over a thousand. After a comprehensive renovation, the house in the Neubau district now presents a contemporary, often politically engaged programme. As a tradition-rich yet present-minded institution, the Volkstheater is among the defining voices of Vienna's theatre scene.