Altes Magazin

The Alte Magazin stands in Hannover’s Südstadt on Kestnerstraße 18, a protected brick building from 1895 designed by Ferdinand Ludolff for storing theatre scenery. Its long hall with tall columns resembles a basilica, and the west wing once housed military horses. The complex survived wartime raids that destroyed the nearby opera house. It now hosts around 25 000 visitors yearly as the Klecks-Theater’s home for children’s shows and the Kammerspiele’s adult performances. After a 2011 renovation it gained rehearsal rooms and offices while keeping its high, columned hall intact. The difficult space has shaped a distinctive stage aesthetic for experimental productions. Visitors find the original depot hall with its double row of slender columns and high ceiling, now fitted with discreet modern facilities. The adjoining west wing still shows its gabled façade with plastered blind windows. The building’s layered history—from scenery store to wartime stable to theatre—remains visible in every brick and arch.