Theatre Design & Technology - Dec 1973 - 36

DEUTSCHE THEATERBAUTEN BIS ZUM
ZWEITEN WELTKRIEG. TYPOLOGISCHHISTORISCHE DOCUMENTATION EINER
BAUGATTUNG
by Harold Zielske
Selbstverlag der Gesellschaft fur Theatergeschichte, 1971. (Schriften der Gesellschaft fur
Theatergeschichte, Bd. 65),
307 pp., 200 plates, notes, 167 item bibliography, index
This is typically efficient and authoritative treatment,
a I beit deliberately circumscribed, of the announced
subject matter. I say typical because most of the volumes
sponsored by the Gesellschaft fur Theatergeschichte have
similar characteristics: a carefully limited scope and
objective which is then handled with precision and
expertise. These volumes are not calculated to inspire nor
to excite. Rather they provide valuable insights into and
resource material about the nooks and crannies of
theatrical history. They provide exactly the material
necessary for projects such as Heinz Kindermann's
TH EATE RGESCHICHTE EUROPAS (Salsburg, Otto
Muller Verlag, 1957- 8 vols. to date) which in its own
epic and incredible way manages to bring together all the
various threads and bits of information of the panorama
of European theatre history into a readable, indeed
fascinating series of volumes.
Zielske's original intention was to document all of the
theatres on German territory at the beginning of World
War II, but a lack of sufficient finances coupled with the
practical impossibility of obtaining the material quickly
made this an unrealistic goal. This is unfortuante because
there never has been a comprehensive history of German
theatrical buildings. What we have instead is an attempt to
pick representative examples from the 271 theatres (listed
in the Deutsches Buhnenjahrbuch) which were operating
in 1937. This approach obviously necessitated a choice on
the author's part, a choice which he based on three
co nsiderations: (1) dimensions of the bu ilding; (2)
sociological factors such as the type of audience; (3)
quality factors. Considering the ninety-six theatres which
were completely destroyed by 1945 and the twenty-six
which were lost due to territorial adjustments, this
problem was somewhat eased. However, any reader who is
acquainted with German theatres could and would argue
with the final selection of fifty buildings. I, for example,
found it difficult to justify the exclusion of a major house
such as the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munchen
(1811/1822/1959-63). And when Hamburg and
Dusseldorf are not even represented and Altenburg is, I
am bothered if only from a historical perspective!
On the other hand as with all labors of love the material
is never simply cut and dried; ideals are always enticingly
just out of reach. And Zielske makes every effort to be

representative by selecting varied examples from ten
major categories: there are four closed court theatres of
the eighteenth century, six open court theatres up to
1880, thirteen commoners' theatres dating from 1780 to
1880, ten conventiona I theatres from 1880 to 1914, five
theatres from 1890 to 1914 having a restricted balcony
arrangement, three small theatres, four chamber theatres,
th ree reform theatres, one small theatre from the
1910·1933 period, and one theatre from the Nazi era.
Clearly any final selection was bound to be subjective to a
degree.
Each of the fifty examples is accompanied by a short
summary of the persons and firms associated with its
construction, a chronological list of improvements, a short
history and description of the building itself, an exterior
and interior picture as well as a floor plan. The plates are
generally quite good and date from the period 1940-42
when material was gathered for a publication designed to
encompass the architectural and technical details of all
German theatres. This grandiose scheme was never
completed, and in fact a portion of the material was lost
forever in the 1945 Berlin debacle.
One hopes that we will soon have a companion volume
to this one in the form of an up-to-date compendium of
restorations, reconstructions and new buildings housing
theatrical activity in Germany since 1945. This would
supplement Zielske's effort which ends with 1940, the last
pre-war year in which major modifications were
undertaken on existing theatres and also the last year
before the destruction of the German homeland began its
inevitable crescendo. As the German Mark and the
American Dollar continue to play games, I hesitate to
estimate the cost of this volume to the individual
purchaser. However, any library which aims at
completeness should order it.
Robert H. Cowden
Wayne State University

THEATERTECHNIK
by Walter Unruh
Verlag Klasing, Berlin: 1969
398 pp. illus.
Walter Unruh's THEATERTECHNIK provides a
valuable source of information for the professional theatre
technician and the serious student of stagecraft. Its
practical value for readers on this continent is not as
direct because much of the book is devoted to detailed
information with specific relevance to the theatre in
Germany. This is not to suggest that the book is neither
interesting nor informative-it is both.
More than half of Unruh's work deals with information
regarding the installation, operation and maintenance of
technical equipment. The rest of the book is given over to
a comprehensive list of German theatre regulations and

THEATRE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

DECEMBER. 1973

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