In 2010 Essen is allowed to call itself "European Capital of Culture". This is in recognition of the efforts to establish a large-scale cultural landscape around Essen with theatre, festivals such as the Ruhrtriennale.
Essen was never really a theatre city, the coal and steel industry dominated too much in the 19th century. In the meantime, the sixth largest city in Germany has become a service location, three quarters of the working population work in this sector. And the theatre with its theatre, ballet, philharmonic orchestra and the Aalto Opera makes a name for itself with spectacular productions.
Esther Schweins introduces the Schauspiel Essen, which bears the name of the man who donated it to the city of Essen: the "Grillo Theatre". Typical for Essen, Friedrich Grillo was a major industrialist. He contributed over 500,000 marks to the construction so that the theatre could be opened in 1892. And Friedrich Alfred Krupp also supported the theatre with 10,000 marks a year - but he never visited it. The current artistic director Anselm Weber and Oliver Scheydt, Essen's head of cultural affairs, talk about the influence the city has on the theatre today. Hansgünther Heyme also tells how he brought the "Theatre of the World" festival to Essen in 1991. Actors Jutta Wachowiak and Günter Lamprecht and director and former Folkwang student Werner Wöllbern also have their say.
Theatrescapes: Schauspiel Essen
In 2010 Essen is allowed to call itself "European Capital of Culture". This is in recognition of the efforts to establish a large-scale cultural landscape around Essen with theatre, festivals such as the Ruhrtriennale.
