Volkstheater Vienna is the other (in addition to Burgtheater) major theater in the city, and especially famous for offering a lighter, popular culture repertoire.
The theater was founded by poet Ludwig Anzengruber and industrial magnate Felix Fischer, in 1889.
Their idea was to create a fully German-language theater institution within the multinational Austro-Hungarian empire…
…and also, to create a more popular culture, lighter-themed choice to counterbalance the upper class preferred repertoire of the Burgtheater.
In addition to providing lighter themed theater, the founders also intended to bring classics and more modern drama’s to a section of the population that previously did not have access to them.
PHOTO: Volkstheater, as seen from Bellariastrasse (behind the Vienna Natural History Museum).
As the theater’s mission was to get masses to see theater in Vienna, it contained the world’s biggest German-language theater auditorium…even bigger than the one at the main rival, Burgtheater.
The auditorium could seat a maximum of 1,900 spectators.
However, after reparations made to the theater after WWII, it can now fit 970 people, still making it the 2nd biggest theater auditorium in Vienna.
Throughout the years, Volkstheater has been faithful to its popular culture, lighter-themed theater roots.
Volkstheater
Address: Neustiftgasse 1, 1070 Vienna, Austria
Facebook: Facebook.com/Volkstheater.at
Youtube: Youtube.com/VolkstheaterWien
Official website: Volkstheater.at
Also, since 2005, Volkstheater has made experimental theater available in the suburbs, using smaller theater venues throughout the city.