Bergwaldtheater Weißenburg

The Bergwaldtheater Weißenburg is an open air theatre in the Weißenburger Wald near the town of Weißenburg, Bavaria, Germany. It hosts the annual Waldlicht Festival featuring both theatre and musical acts.

The amphitheatre contains 1275 seats, including the so called "Wurzelplätze" ("root seats") in the back. The stage space is around 250 meters wide and can be devided into several stages. Therefore it allowes for several simultaneous performances. The stage space is seperated from the audience by a trench. The seats are categorized into three blocks. The Bergwaldtheater Weißenburg is open in the spring and summertime between May and August. The programm varies from family and childfriendly shows, musicals, classical theatre, concerts and vaudeville to opera. Guests are invited to bring seat cussions and snacks to the "Wurzelplätze".

History

The area used to be a quarry that was rewooded over the years. In 1927 the mayor Dr. Hermann Fritz saw the potential of the space hosting a theatre festival as a tourist attraction to work against the economic crisis of the 1920s. The theatre was planned and contructed by architect and gardener Bernhard Nill. The theatre opend on 29 June 1929 with the "Weißenburger Waldspiel", written specifically for the occasion.