GOP theater Hannover

The GOP Varieté Theater stands in the centre of Hannover, a five-storey stone building opposite the opera house. Built between 1912 and 1913 in steel-frame style, it was designed by architects Wilhelm Mackensen and Fritz Torno. The Royal Court Decoration Painter Hermann Stünkel created its decorative murals. During the 1920s the café-restaurant inside became a lively dance spot for jazz orchestras. In 1943 an air raid damaged the building but left the steel skeleton intact. After the war the theatre reopened in 1947 under new owner Wilhelm Hirte. By the 1950s international stars such as Kalanag, Josephine Baker, Gert Fröbe and Zarah Leander performed on its stage. In 1962 television began to draw audiences away and the GOP closed. After three decades of other uses it reopened in 1992 under Hubertus and Hubert Grote. Today 320 seats face a programme of variety acts from around the world. In winter the GOP also presents a Christmas musical and a winter variety in the Herrenhäuser Gardens orangery. The building houses the restored Gondel restaurant seating ninety guests. Since 2022 Nadine Matzat directs the theatre. The GOP Entertainment Group now runs six theatres across Germany, from Essen to Bremen, each offering variety shows and occasional dance clubs.