Mannheim National Theatre

Mannheim National Theatre has had a long and eventful history. It was founded in the late 18th century by Prince-Elector Carl Theodor, the great patron of the arts and sciences, who in 1778 had the former electoral granary converted into a theatre. That same year, Carl Theodor had to transfer his residence from Mannheim to Munich to come into his inheritance as a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty and become Elector of Bavaria. Many artists and the courtly public went with him. Yet it was the Prince-Elector’s wish that the theatre should remain in Mannheim, and he made the necessary funds available to engage a regular ensemble. This was the time when the value of the German language for the theatrical stage was being discovered. Previously, productions had mainly been in Italian or French. For this reason, the name “National Theatre” was chosen for the Mannheim playhouse...