State Theater Linz

The Linz State Theater is Upper Austria’s largest theater, with a rich and diverse history that spans over two centuries. The theater offers a variety of performances, from opera and musicals to drama and youth theater, in its three venues: the Musiktheater am Volksgarten, the Schauspielhaus, and the Kammerspiele. The theater is also home to the Bruckner Orchestra Linz, one of the leading orchestras in Austria.

The Beginnings of the Theater

The first theater performances in Linz were held by touring troupes at the estate riding school and the promenade ballroom in the 18th century. However, these venues were not suitable for regular and professional theater productions. In 1751, Johann Matthias Krinner, a skilled builder from Linz, proposed to the estates (the representatives of the nobility, clergy, and towns) to build their own theatrical structure. His proposal was supported by Johann Franz Achaz von Stiebar, the then-provincial prosecutor (deputy provincial governor), who is considered the true founder of the theater.

The first theater building was erected at Promenade 39, a converted warehouse, in 1752. It was only used as an emergency remedy while the municipal water theater on the Donaulände (the riverside promenade) was inoperable due to floods. The water theater, which was built in 1748, was the main venue for theater performances until 1786. However, it was often damaged by the Danube river and had poor acoustics and lighting. In 1788, the Redoutensaal (the ballroom) was turned into a theater hall and used for performances while the new theater was being built.

The First State Theater

From 1801 to 1803, the first State Theater was added to the Linz Redoutensäle at the foot of the Schlossberg (the castle hill), and the entire building’s exterior was restored in the Empire style. The new theater was designed by Joseph Kornhäusel, a renowned architect from Vienna, and had a capacity of 600 seats. Emperor Franz accepted the design for the new theater structure, and the newly erected State Theater opened on his birthday, October 4, 1803, with a performance of Mozart’s opera “The Marriage of Figaro”. The theater, which was initially unheated for financial reasons, had to close during the harsh winters.

The State Theater was run by the estates until 1848, when they were abolished by the revolution. The theater flourished in a spectacular heyday as early as 1824, when it hosted the premiere of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, conducted by the composer himself. However, at the time, every play had to be submitted to the censors for permission before it could be played. Censorship was removed after the 1848 revolution, and Emperor Ferdinand pledged total freedom from censorship. In the years thereafter, the calendar featured not just operas and plays, but also creative interludes that pushed the classics to the sidelines.

The Rise of Opera and the Crisis of the Theater

Opera came to the fore and gained popularity with audiences in the 1920s, thanks to the efforts of directors such as Richard Mayr and Franz Léhar. The Linz State Theater also became a pioneer in modern theater, as it staged Bertolt Brecht’s play “The Threepenny Opera” for the first time in Austria in 1923. However, the theater faced a crisis in the 1930s and 1940s due to the impoverishment of the previous theatrical audience, the middle class; younger people chose the increasingly trendy cinema. The theater also suffered from the political turmoil and the bombings of World War II, which damaged the building and the equipment.

The theater was taken over by the city of Linz and the state of Upper Austria in the early 1950s, and underwent a series of renovations and expansions. The Kammerspiele, a smaller theater with 421 seats, was built between 1956 and 1958 following the plans of architect Clemens Holzmeister, while the big house with 756 seats was restored in 1957. The theater also added new venues for experimental and youth theater, such as the Theaterkeller uhof (after uhof: Theater for Young Audiences) with 100 seats in 1973, the Eisenhand venue with a maximum capacity of 170 seats in 1998, and the studio stage on the Promenade in 2017.

The New Musiktheater am Volksgarten

The most recent and ambitious project of the Linz State Theater was the construction of the new Musiktheater am Volksgarten, a state-of-the-art opera house that opened on April 11, 2013 at the Volksgarten in Linz’s heart. The new theater, which cost 160 million euros and took five years to build, has a capacity of 1,200 seats and features a modern and elegant design by the London-based architects Terry Pawson. The theater also boasts a sophisticated stage technology, a spacious foyer, and a panoramic roof terrace. The new theater aims to offer a diverse and high-quality program of opera, musical, ballet, and concert performances, and to attract new and younger audiences.

The Linz State Theater is a cultural institution that has witnessed and shaped the history of Linz and Upper Austria for over two centuries. The theater has evolved and adapted to the changing times and tastes of its audience, and has always strived to offer the best of theater, music, and art. The theater is now managed by the O. Theater und Orchester GmbH, which also manages the Bruckner Orchestra Linz and is owned entirely by the State of Upper Austria through the O Landesholding. The theater continues to be a source of inspiration and enjoyment for the people of Linz and beyond.

Linz, Austria