Teatrul german din Cernăuţi (1803-1923)

Abstract

Once with the occupation of Bucovina in 1774, the spreading of German culture was one of the many consequences. This was made through different ways, one of them, with a great impact, was the Theater. If at the beginning the theatre was promoted by various companies from the whole Empire, with the passing of the time, the theatrical institution becomes a reality when a special location was builded. From the most important companies which had performed at Chernovtsy (in most of the cases on improvised stages), we mention those leaded by Iosef Neuberg, Alois Heim, Alfred Hein, Franz Urbany, Constantin Loboiko, Lucian von Eysenbach, Gustav Sinnmayer, Jacques Kalvo, Louis Konderla. Only in 1878 has begun the construction of the building that would later be known as the Old Town Theatre, where local talents had the opportunity to affirm. The theatre had permanent seasons with a well chosen repertory. In 1905 a new building was constructed under the name of The New Town Theatre, being an architectural masterpiece of the architects Fellner and Helmer, where there were presented performances not only in German (performances that had biggest weight), but also in Polish, Romanian or Ukrainian. After the union between Bucovina and Romania in 1918, there were attempts of converting the German Theatre from Chernovtsy into National Theatre, this project being accomplished only at the beginning of the year 1923, as a result of some massive studentsstations. The presence of the German Theatre in Bucovina went a real progress for the Bucovinian culture, through her entering valuable literary works belonging to the German or universal literature.