Theater Osnabrück

Theater Osnabrück is a municipal theatre in the north-west German city of Osnabrück. It runs two stages: the larger Theater am Domhof and the smaller emma-theater. The company traces its origins to 1771 when plays were first given at Schloss Osnabrück. In 1780 performances moved into two aristocratic houses. Albert Lortzing worked with the company from 1827 to 1833. The city took over the building in 1832 and made it its first municipal theatre. The present Domhof building opened in 1909 with Julius Caesar as its first production. During the Second World War the theatre was damaged by bombing in 1945. British military authorities stopped performances after the war, but the ban was lifted in July 1945. Reconstruction began in 1949 and finished the following year. Since 2011 Ralf Waldschmidt has led the theatre as Intendant. Andreas Hotz has been Generalmusikdirektor since 2012. Visitors enter the Domhof’s main auditorium with 642 seats. The emma-theater seats 96 and hosts smaller productions. Both venues stage plays, operas and concerts throughout the year. The Domhof stands beside Osnabrück’s cathedral, linking modern theatre with centuries-old city life. Inside, foyers display programmes and posters from past seasons. The building’s classical architecture frames each performance with dignity.