bg Klagenfurt

Klagenfurt City Theater

- Theaterplatz 4 -
The multi-story building, which was built in honor of Emperor , who celebrated his sixtieth anniversary in power on December 2, 1908, was built for cultural purposes. The building, which was constructed according to the project that came from the Austrian architects and from , was completed in 1910. On September 3, 1910, an acoustic rehearsal took place in the theater. The last commissioned viewings concluded on September 5, 1910, after which the theater was ready to open its doors to the public. The theater, which houses a total of 996 seats, finally opened its doors to the public on September 22, 1910, with the name Emperor Franz Joseph I Anniversary Theater.
The project of Hermann Helmer and Ferdinand Fellner
The first theater in Klagenfurt was built between 1605 and 1620 as a ballroom for the aristocracy and served as their social entertainment. Over time, there were more and more Italian guest performances, who liked to stop off in Klagenfurt on their journey from to Vienna. Towards the end of the 18th century, the theater was gradually opened to intellectuals, military men, and civil servants. The initially wooden theater building, known by the name Old Theater, was rebuilt from stone in 1811.

Further expansions to the current building were made in the 1960s, including the number of standing places being reduced and an extension for the stage building was built. Between 1996 and 1998, the city theater was rebuilt according to plans by the Austrian architect , and a modern wing was added to the back.
The interior shown in an old colorized photo
On top of the Art Nouveau building, in addition to the lantern tower that's crowned with a , you'll see two statues of a female figure, which are holding attributes common for theater performances. In between these statues, you can see a fragment adorned with a surrounded by and inscribed with to whose honor it was built. Underneath the that's embellished with , you can see an , the coats of arms of and the coat of arms of Klagenfurt, as well as the years 1908 and 1910. A fragment is placed on both sides of the part, which are lavishly decorated with , , and . The roof terraces that can be seen there as well are secured with a stone balustrade with incorporated and piers on which sculptural composition is placed consisting of some putti holding a basket of fruit. The main entrance is covered with a huge that's supported by six wrought iron , which are adorned with .
The building shown in an old postcard