Krušnohorské divadlo / Ore Mountains Theatre - Teplice (North Bohemia)
N 50° 38.417 E 013° 49.695
33U E 417145 N 5610479
Monumental and spacious Krušnohorské divadlo (Ore Mountains Theatre), built in 1921-1924 according to the project of Dresdener architect R. Bitzan, is the key cultural center of spa town Teplice.
Waymark Code: WMMPBJ
Location: Ústecký kraj, Czechia
Date Posted: 10/19/2014
Views: 53
Monumental and spacious Krušnohorské divadlo (Ore Mountains Theatre), built in 1921-1924 according to the project of Dresdener architect R. Bitzan, is the key cultural center of spa town Teplice.
The first theatre in Teplice, used mostly by local nobility and its hosts, was part of the Teplice Chateau premises at the beginning of the 18th century. But this small theatre (ca 300 seats) soon became insufficient. The solution to the problem was simple - proposal for building of a municipal theatre.
The new neo-Renaissance theatre building (1000 seats) was erected between 1872-1874 and Teplice became one of the first Czech towns featuring a stone-built theatre with permanent ensembles (dramatic, opera and operetta). Unfortunately, this building was destroyed by fire in 1st September 1919. Despite the post-WWI situation, the city council decided to build a new theatre, and only 2 years after the fire a new concept was approved.
The new building, designed by the Dresden architect Rudolf Bitzan, combined Art-Deco, late Art-Nouveau, Classicist and Modernist features. The building comprised a grand and a small theatre hall, a dance floor, a cinema and vast restaurant premises. New theatre was eventually fully opened by a performance of Richard Wagner's opera the "Mastersingers of Nuremberg" in 20th April 1924. The building itself ranked among the largest and most modern theatres in the country. It continued to host three permanent ensembles, with the average of six performances per week. The opera ensemble staged Mozart's and Wagner's operas, the operetta achieved success with the Czardas Princess or the Gypsy Baron.
In the 1996-1998, the theatre was fully renovated. The building features a restaurant with a café, hosts balls, concerts and theatre performances – performed by visiting theatre groups only, though, as a permanent ensemble has not been in Teplice since 1994. The Theatre is currently managed by Teplice Cultural Centre (Dum Kultury Teplice).