Theater Altes Hallenbad

The Theatre Altes Hallenbad stands in the centre of Friedberg, a town in the Wetterau region of Hesse. The building was opened in 1909 as a public swimming pool in the Jugendstil style, with a grand baroque exterior. Designed by the Gießen architect Hans Meyer, its interior once featured eleven-metre-wide murals by the local art teacher Ludwig Roth. The theatre’s survival owes much to the citizens who campaigned for its construction and later for its rescue. A citizens’ association raised money through donations, a lottery and shares, including a major gift from the industrialist Carl Trapp. After decades of decline the building was placed under Denkmalschutz in 1985. A citizens’ initiative formed the Friends of the Theatre Altes Hallenbad association in 2007, and with the city’s support began the conversion into a theatre. Visitors now enter a large hall where the former swimming pool has been covered to create the stage. The auditorium retains Jugendstil details such as the wooden cubicles and original fittings. The programme offers around eighty events each year, including an annual opera produced by members, concerts with international guitarists and performances by the Heldentheater group. The theatre also hosts lectures, children’s events and private celebrations.