Description of the attraction
The Silesian Theater is the largest theater in Silesia, located on the market square in Katowice. It was built as a "German Theater" in 1905-1907, its golden age fell on the 40s and 50s. The Silesian Theater regularly takes part in cultural events in Poland and other European countries.
The neoclassical theater building was created by the architect Karl Moritz, the author of the opera building in Cologne. The construction of the theater began in 1905 and lasted two years. The main entrance is decorated with lanterns, and the facade of the building is decorated with elegant bas-reliefs. The facade was rebuilt several times, during the interwar period the bas-reliefs were removed, and in the 60s the last standing sculpture was removed from the window niche. During the last reconstruction, all the bas-reliefs took their places again.
The grand opening of the theater took place in October 1907, when the actors promised that Polish speech would always sound on this stage. In 1932, the Silesian Theater was closed due to financial problems. The Polish politician and philosopher Mikhail Grazynski received an order from the government to take control of the theater with the aim of implanting Polish culture. The new theater director was Marian Sobanski, an opera singer and talented manager. He held this position until the outbreak of the war and was also the first post-war theater director.
After World War II, the Silesian Theater became a refuge for a Polish group from the Lviv Drama Theater. These years were the brightest for the theater: talented actors, directors and directors, continuous creative process and many outstanding performances. Among many generations of actors, such personalities as Galina Kieszovskaya, Eva Lassek, Emir Buczaki, Tadeusz Kalinowski and other young actors have appeared on the stage, who received their first valuable experience here. The theatrical repertoire mainly includes productions of Polish and world classics.
The Silesian Theater maintains numerous international contacts. In recent years the troupe has toured in Moscow, Ufa, Vienna, Paris and Brussels.
