Mi.673-674 (09.10.1938) Theatre opening in Saarpfalz

Mi.673-674

Opening of the District theatre in Saarpfalz

Mi.673. View of the District theatre, Saarbrücken. Ref: 22.10.1938

Mi.674. View of the District theatre, Saarbrücken. Ref: 22.10.1938

The special cancellation used for the Mi.674-674 issue. Ref: 09.10.1938, JB:Saarbrücken12/656

Theater Saarbrücken

Theater Saarbrücken, officially Saarländisches Staatstheater since 1971, is the state theatre of Saarland in its capital Saarbrücken, Germany. It has several divisions (opera, drama, dance, concert) and offers annually around 30 new productions in around 700 events for more than 200,000 people. Its venues are Großes Haus (Big House), Alte Feuerwache (Old Fire Station), Congresshalle (Conference Hall) and sparte4 (area 4). While theatre in Saarbrücken has a long history, the present main venue was completed in 1938, with plans commissioned by the Nazi regime.

Theater Saarbrücken/ Saarländisches Staatstheater. Ref: 09.10.1938

Saarbrücken had several venues for theatre before the French Revolution, a theatre at the Schloss Saarbrücken, a comedy house from 1787, and an open-air theatre on the Ludwigsberg. August Wilhelm Iffland was director of the court theatres from 1786 to 1793.

During the following period as part of Prussia, there was no venue for theatre. In 1897, the Saalbau was built as a concert hall. A municipal theatre was built by Hans Peter Weszkalnys and opened on 18th February 1897 with the opera Mignon by Ambroise Thomas. From 1899, it was called Thalia-Theater. In 1906, plans for a better building began.

The main venue of today's Saarländisches Staatstheater was built in 1937 and 1938, commissioned by Joseph Goebbels and designed by Paul Baumgarten. The funding came mostly from the city of Saarbrücken. It was opened on 9th October 1938, called Gautheater Saarpfalz, with a performance of Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer, in the presence of Hitler, Goebbels and Heinrich Himmler.

Reverse of postcard above. Featuring Mi.673 (6+4 Pf) and the special cancel used for the issue. Note that this is a first day of use (9th October 1938). This first release was at the Saarbrücken post office, and shortly thereafter at other German post offices. Ref: 09.10.1938

The first Intendant was Bruno von Niessen. Heinz Bongartz was GMD from 1937 and 1944.

Destroyed in World War II, the theatre was restored, and opened again on 6th March 1948, now named Stadttheater Saarbrücken (Saarbrücken City Theatre), with Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. When the Saar became part of the Federal Republic of Germany on 1st January 1957, the contract was signed at the theatre, with chancellor Konrad Adenauer and the prime minister of the Saar, Hubert Ney.

In 1971, the state of Saarland took over as owner of the theatre, and the name was changed to Saarländisches Staatstheater. The building was declared a historic monument in 1983.

Source: Wikipedia

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