Kleines Theater

The Kleines Theater Bad Godesberg stands in the heart of the Kurpark in Bad Godesberg, a district of Bonn. The building was constructed in 1922–23 as a private home for the Gebr. David banking house, designed by local architect Willy Maß. It later served as the mayor’s official residence, first for Josef Zander from 1926 to 1933, then for Heinrich Alef during the Nazi era. After 1945 the house had various uses before becoming a theatre in 1970. The city of Bonn owns the building and leases it to the theatre. The theatre’s long history is marked by artistic ambition and resilience. Founded in 1958 by Walter Ullrich, it became known for bold premières and literary discoveries. Ullrich ran the house for 61 years, making him Germany’s longest-serving theatre director. In 2019 Frank Oppermann took over, securing a thirty-year lease after a public vote. The theatre now hosts up to 300 performances a year and draws around 25 000 visitors annually. It has twice received the Courage Theatre Prize from the Bonn theatre community. Inside, the auditorium seats 161 people beneath warm wood panelling. The stage is small but flexible, allowing for plays, comedies and musicals. Outside, the Kurpark offers quiet walks among mature trees. A summer concert series on the open-air stage extends the programme to new audiences. The building itself, once a mayor’s home, still carries traces of its past while serving today’s cultural life.