Theater Pforzheim

The Stadttheater Pforzheim stands beside the Enz on Waisenhausplatz, a modern building designed by architect Bodo Fleischer in 1990. It contains two stages: the Grosses Haus with 511 seats and the Podium, whose flexible seating can hold up to 193 people. The theatre presents plays, operas, operettas, ballets, concerts and musicals, supported by the Badische Philharmonie Pforzheim. Its riverside location links the building to the city centre and the adjacent park. The house has been a three-part theatre since 1933, when Kapellmeister Hans Leger merged his private orchestra with opera and drama. After wartime destruction in 1945, performances resumed in temporary quarters until the move to the present building in 1990. Since 1959 the Stadttheater has toured under Städteoper Südwest to theatreless towns in Baden-Württemberg, Switzerland and Austria, making it one of the region’s most active cultural providers. Visitors find a spacious foyer with wide stairs leading to both auditoria. The Grosses Haus presents grand opera and full-length drama, while the Podium hosts contemporary plays and experimental works. The theatre’s programme includes symphony concerts, children’s performances and regular tours to surrounding towns. Outside, the Enz’s banks offer quiet walks, and the building’s clean lines contrast with the older Jahnstrasse hall across the river.