Gewandhaus (Plauen-Zwickau Theater)

The Plauen-Zwickau Theater is the fourth-largest theater in Saxony and one of only two theaters in the state that still bring together four artistic disciplines under one roof.

Since the 2009/2010 season, Roland May has served as General Director of the theater; the leadership of all artistic disciplines has been renewed, and all disciplines have undergone a new artistic direction. Musical theater, drama, ballet, and the orchestra present a wide-ranging, diverse program. The repertoire ranges from classical opera, operetta, and musicals, to a wide selection of plays on the main and studio stages and ballet—including open-air productions across all genres—to an extremely active concert program that includes large-scale symphonic and church concerts as well as chamber concerts and mobile school concerts. The theater also places special emphasis on programming for children and young people and extensive theater education initiatives.

The Plauen-Zwickau Theater performs at five of its own venues, as well as other locations in both cities and throughout the cultural region. The main venue in Zwickau is the Gewandhaus on the Hauptmarkt. The Gewandhaus Zwickau was not originally intended as a theater building, but was constructed as the guild hall of the clothmakers between 1522 and 1525. In 1823, the “Theater auf dem Gewandhaus” was established in the building, which had since been subdivided. Until the beginning of the 20th century, this theater space—which was inadequate in many respects—was repeatedly renovated and remodeled. After World War II, during which the Gewandhaus remained undamaged, the Zwickau Gewandhaus was renovated and expanded in the following decades through a variety of initiatives. On October 7, 1979, the “Theater in der Mühle” (TiM) was officially opened in an annex building, the “Alte Stadtmühle” on Gewandhausstraße. This was followed in 1987 by the Puppet Theater. 

In the 1990s, major renovations were once again necessary due to asbestos contamination as well as evolving technical requirements. After an extensive renovation, the historic building reopened in 1997 and now features a modern auditorium as well as state-of-the-art stage, lighting, and sound technology.