Theater landscapes

Already in the
In the 18th century, the Dukes of Meiningen were already enthusiastic about the theater, staging amateur performances and finally opening the Meiningen Court Theatre in 1831.
In 1866, George II took over the regency of the duchy and also the management of the theater.
He strove for a renewal of German theater and attached great importance to detailed sets and realistic performances.
The Meiningen Theater thus became the cradle of naturalism on the stage.
The court orchestra, which was an integral part of the theater, also made a name for itself during the reign of Duke Georg II and developed into an important orchestra with Richard Wagner, Richard Strauss and Max Reger on the podium.
At the end of the
At the end of the 19th century, the "Meininger" went on a triumphal march through Europe: the "Meininger Guest Performances" became legendary.
The ensemble traveled - a logistical masterpiece - with stage sets, props and costumes by train through 39 cities, from London to Kiev.
After the Wall was built, Meiningen remained isolated due to its location on the edge of the zone, despite its high standard of staging.
It was cut off from its regular audience in Franconia, Lower Bavaria and Hesse.
After reunification, many theater professionals were once again drawn to the traditional theater.
Ulrich Burkhardt became artistic director in 1990.
He led the theater to new attendance records.
With a new studio stage, the theater was running at over 90% capacity.
This success was continued from 1998 by Christine Mielitz.
Since her "Ring des Nibelungen" in 2001 at the latest, Meiningen has been on everyone's lips again.
Loriot staged Friedrich von Flotow's opera "Martha" here, Klaus Maria Brandauer an adaptation of Brahms' song cycle "Magelone".