View source for Weißenfelser Liebhabertheater

[[File:Adolf Müllner.jpg|thumb]]
The amateur theatre in Weißenfels , a small town located near Leipzig, was active from 1809-1819 and became widely know through the involvement of the popular dramatist [[wikipedia:Adolf_Müllner|Adolf Müllner]]. 

== History ==
Around 1800  a number of musical societies and social clubs was active in the small town of Weißenfels (4.600 to 5.400 inhabitants) occasionally staging drama. On Müllner's initiative a theatre association was founded in 1809 with a regular repertoire during the winter season.

Müllner, originally trained as a lawyer became known by the theatrical success of his play "Der 29. Februar" (1812), a typical piece of 'Schicksalsdrama' ('fate drama') that came in fashion at the time. Fueled by Müllner's ambition to develop an 'aesthetic totality'<ref>Ullmann, Walter. Adolph Müllner und das Weißenfelser Liebhabertheater, Berlin: Gesellschaft für Theaterwissenschaft, 1934, 8.</ref> to champion over ambulant troupes regularly visiting the town, the Weißenfels Liebhabertheater became one of the most active and most known amateur theatre companies of the time. The amateur theatre in Weißenfels highly benefited also from Müllner's dramatic writing. In 1817 and 1818 he edited the "Almanach für Privatbühnen" ("Almanach for private theatre") publishing easy pieces (by himself and other authors) that were deemed accessible for amateurs and did not require huge "mechanical intricateness"<ref>Müllner, Adolf (ed.). Almanach für Privatbühnen, Leipzig: Göschen, 1817, XII.</ref>.

In 1818  the Liebhabertheater joined the social club "Ressource", only one year later they ended their activities altogether.

== Repertoire ==
The Weißenfelser Liebhabertheater staged all genres of drama, but took a clear decision not to involve in staging operatic or musical genres. Among the most performed playwrights on the Weißenfels stage appear: [[August von Kotzebue]] (25 pieces), [[wikipedia:Adolf_Müllner|Adolph Müllner]] (14 pieces) and [[August Ernst von Steigentesch]] (10 pieces). On occasions they also performed [[wikipedia:Johann_Wolfgang_von_Goethe|Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]]'s (2 pieces) and [[wikipedia:Friedrich_Schiller|Friedrich Schiller]]'s (1 piece) classics.

== Members ==
Adolf Müllner, actor, dramatist, director

== References ==
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[[Category:Germany]]
[[Category:Clubs, Societies and Institutions]]