Alte Feuerwache

The Alte Feuerwache stands in Saarbrücken-St. Johann, a former gymnasium and fire station designed by architect Wilhelm Franz between 1896 and 1897. It now serves as a stage for the Saarland State Theatre after conversion in 1982. The building remains a protected monument and shows how a single structure can change its purpose across centuries. The theatre’s second-largest stage seats 240 people and hosts plays, ballets, concerts and readings. It replaced the Turnerbund St. Johann’s gymnasium on the first floor while the ground floor kept its fire-station role until the conversion. The architect’s design still shapes the interior, with high ceilings and large windows that once let daylight into the gym. Visitors find a light-filled hall with modern theatre equipment and historic brick walls. The stage area preserves some original features alongside new lighting and sound systems. Outside, the corner building keeps its early 20th-century appearance among shops and cafés in St. Johann.