Altonaer Theater

The Altonaer Theater is a private theatre in Hamburg’s former independent city of Altona. It began life in 1783 on Palmaille as a place where citizens could enjoy plays. After wartime destruction it moved to Königstraße in 1876, where directors introduced contemporary works earlier than most German stages. In 1943 the building was lost to Allied bombing, and the company performed elsewhere until 1954.

Since 1954 the theatre has occupied the former Haus der Jugend on Museumstraße. The 1928–30 building, designed by Gustav Oelsner in the Neues Bauen style, contrasts sharply with the grand Altona City Hall nearby. Axel Schneider has led the theatre since 1995, staging adaptations of Anna Karenina, Steppenwolf and other literary titles.

Visitors find a modern auditorium inside the reinforced-concrete structure. The programme mixes classics with international bestsellers and young German writing. Guest performances and special events fill the calendar alongside the theatre’s own productions.