Pfalztheater

The Pfalztheater is a theatre building and company in Kaiserslautern, a city in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is the only three-genre venue in the state, staging music, drama and dance. The town’s first theatre opened in 1862 on what is now Karl-Marx-Straße, financed by Andreas Müller, owner of the Spittelmühle mill. This building burned down soon after and was rebuilt by Müller. In 1874 it became a public limited company, and in 1897 the town took it over as a municipal theatre. By the early 20th century it had grown into the Städtebundoper, working with other theatres in the region, especially in Pirmasens and Zweibrücken. The original theatre was destroyed in an air raid on 14 August 1944. Performances resumed the following October at the Capitol cinema while funds were raised for a new home. Once enough money had been collected, the Film-Palast cinema was converted into a permanent replacement. The new theatre opened in September 1950, giving Kaiserslautern a dedicated stage once more. Today the Pfalztheater presents operas, plays and dance works in a modern auditorium. The building stands on a corner site in the city centre, close to shops and cafés. Its programme includes classical and contemporary pieces, with singers, actors and dancers drawn from the company’s permanent ensemble. The foyer often hosts small exhibitions and pre-performance talks. Behind the scenes, rehearsal rooms and workshops support the daily work of staging productions.