Description of the attraction
In Klagenfurt, the first theater appeared in the distant 16th century. The wooden building was mainly used for balls. There was no permanent theater company in Klagenfurt. On the stage, hastily set up in the ballroom, visiting actors from Vienna and other European cities performed on their way to Venice.
In 1737, instead of the dilapidated building of the theater, a new one was built - also wooden, but stronger. The city theater in Klagenfurt was small at that time, because only the wealthy public had the right to attend the performances. In 1811, the first major reconstruction of the local theater took place. Then, instead of a wooden structure, a brick one appeared. In the 1880s, the building's wooden pillars were severely damaged by fire and were replaced with metal ones. After this renovation, the theater was opened for itself by a simpler audience. The people attended all the performances, enthusiastic notes appeared in the press for each theatrical premiere.
In 1908, the city authorities decided to build a new, more modern theater. The development of the project for the City Theater in Klagenfurt was entrusted to the Viennese architecture firm Fellner and Helmer. On September 22, 1910, the grand opening of the new theater building, erected in the style of the late secession, took place. On the occasion of the festivities held that year in honor of the 60th anniversary of the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I, the theater was named in his honor. The old brick theater, built in 1811, located next to the new building, was demolished.
Currently, the theater's repertoire includes dramas, operas, musicals and ballets.
