Renaissance-Theater

The Renaissance-Theater stands in Berlin’s Charlottenburg district, at the corner of Knesebeckstraße and Hardenbergstraße. Built in 1902 as a corporate house, it became a cinema before Oskar Kaufmann transformed it into a theatre in the 1920s. The building is Europe’s only fully preserved Art-déco theatre and has been a protected monument since 1978. The theatre opened in 1922 under Theodor Tagger and soon became a centre of Berlin’s cultural life. Directors such as Gustav Hartung and Kurt Raeck guided its programmes through the 1920s and after the war. Many well-known actors appeared on its stage, including Tilla Durieux, Curt Goetz and Helene Weigel. The building also features work by artists César Klein and Hella Santarossa. Visitors enter through a semicircular porch with tall arched windows in blue glass. Inside, expressionist details and colourful intarsia panels depict scenes from the Commedia dell’arte. Outside, the Entenbrunnen fountain by August Gaul adds a playful touch. The auditorium retains its original character, offering a glimpse of Berlin’s theatrical past.