Schauburg

The Schauburg was a theatre in Hannover’s Südstadt district, built in 1911 and destroyed in 1943. It stood on the east side of Hildesheimer Straße between Adelheidstraße and Schläger-/Lutherstraße. The building opened under Franz Bubenzer, who also directed and acted there. Theo Lingen made his stage debut at the Schauburg in 1921 without formal training. The Neutze brothers, Günther, Hans Lothar and Horst Michael, began as extras before becoming established actors. The theatre played a key role in Hannover’s cultural life in the 1920s. Its programme expanded from 170 performances in 1922/23 to 375 in 1923/24. Felix Meinhardt occasionally staged operettas alongside classical plays. Willy Grunwald took over as director in 1923 after the city of Hannover leased the building. Rolf Roennecke, Georg Altmann and Alfons Pape later led the renamed Städtisches Schauspielhaus. The interior included a large auditorium designed for classical drama. Photographs from around 1913 show tiered seating and ornate detailing. After the building’s destruction in the Second World War, performances moved to the Ballhof. Claus Harms worked there as a dramaturg under Alfons Pape. The site remains a landmark in Hannover’s theatre history.