Historical Theatres Exploration Trips

That was our Theatres Exploration 2044: Koblenz, 07/05/2024 - 07/09/2024

The Putbus Theatre Friends Association visits other historic theaters on the Germany Route.

This year's theatre trip took over 30 members of the club to Koblenz, Schwetzingen and Bad Ems. The club's deputy chairman, Klaus Möbus, has once again put together a really great program. Challenging, but doable, even for those a little more mature.

After a turbulent journey with actually only an hour's delay, we arrived in Koblenz with Deutsche Bahn on Friday, July 5, 2024.

On Saturday we were able to take part in a ballet rehearsal at the Koblenz Theater. We practiced to the music of Mozart's Requiem. It was a new experience for all participants to see how a dance piece is created, sometimes democratically, sometimes authoritarian.

The chairman of the Friends of the Koblenz Theater, Dr. Fabian Freisberg, welcomed us for lunch. He spoke enthusiastically about the work of the association, which is very different from ours. Here, the theater is actively supported financially in its various departments. Invitations to the association's events are a sought-after item in Koblenz, as networks are also formed here, and not just in the cultural field. In the evening, we saw the open-air performance of "Carmina Burana" and "Pagliacci" at Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. On the way back to the hotel, we had a wonderful view of the Deutsches Eck at night from the cable car, almost for free.

After a two-hour train ride, we spent Sunday in Schwetzingen. A beautiful ensemble of architecture and garden art awaited us. Dr. Wagner led us through the historic theater. His engaging talk about the building and its history aroused curiosity about the afternoon performance of Mozart's "Don Giovanni" by the National Theater in Mannheim. After dinner, we headed back to Koblenz.

Bad Ems, known for its spa facilities with special healing water, is a small town that is fighting for survival, and not just culturally. We spent half of Monday here after a short train ride. During the tour, Mr. Saal told us about the efforts of the city administration and its own companies to use the existing hot healing water economically, for example for heating municipal buildings. The managing director, Mr. Deusner, was waiting for us in the theater. The Bad Ems Theater is one of the newest members of the historic theater route. Like every historic building, there is a struggle here to reconcile German building, monument and fire protection regulations with the preservation of a historic ambience. The trip on the Kurwaldbahn up to the Bismarck Tower was a little difficult for some of us because the electronic access failed. We were standing outside and the train was inside, and we were only able to get to each other after a human hand intervened.

After the return journey, we went on a journey into the history of Koblenz. The late afternoon tour of the old town of Koblenz took every last bit of our strength, but it was worth it. The tour guide, Mrs. Weiss, a native of Koblenz, told anecdotes with a lot of wit and charm. One of them was the one about the "Schängele", a water-spouting boy sculpture. After a sumptuous dinner followed by a nightcap in a wine bar, this excursion into the world of historical theaters came to an end.

The return journey on Tuesday went without any problems. The Deutsche Bahn was on time to the minute. Unfortunately not for the fellow passengers who had a destination other than the Baltic Sea resort of Binz.

We are all looking forward to next year when we go to Munich.

Helga Lawrenz