Altes Theater Heilbronn

The Alte Theater Heilbronn stands in Sontheim, a district of Heilbronn in the Stuttgart region. Originally built as the Gasthof zur Sonne in 1677, the present structure dates largely from 1720 with early-19th-century alterations. It marks the shift from Baroque to Classicism in local architecture, shown by its plastered walls, pedimented entrance and profiled eaves cornice.

The building’s cultural life began in 1897 with the Sonnen-Saal, where the first post-war theatre performances took place in 1946. After a 1991 fire, the owners turned it into a Varieté, restaurant and hotel. The Bulling family later specialised in cabaret and cross-over music-theatre, staging around 600 events including Yasmina Reza’s Kunst. New owners now run a programme of plays and concerts in the 180-seat hall.

Inside, visitors find the two-storey plastered façade with dressed stone surrounds to doors and windows. The entrance gable rises above a small flight of steps. Beyond the foyer lie fourteen guest rooms, a manager’s flat and the main hall with its 180 seats. The whole complex covers roughly 1 000 square metres and retains the refined details of its transitional style.