Welcome to the Friedrichstadt-Palast!
What stands before you is not merely a theater.
You stand before a stage filled with stories.
Before a place where glamour and politics, dreams and reality, have converged for over a hundred years.
Imagine this:
In 1868, a modern market hall opened right here—constructed of glass and iron, a true novelty for the era. Yet, after just seven months, it was all over—a complete flop. Afterward, the structure served as a warehouse during the Franco-Prussian War.
But Berlin never gives up. In 1873, the building was transformed into a circus. Elephants, horses, acrobats—up to 8,000 spectators would marvel here at spectacular acts.
Then came the year 1919. The renowned theater impresario Max Reinhardt moved in. His architect, Hans Poelzig, built the “Großes Schauspielhaus.” Inside, it resembled a stalactite cave—mysterious, vast, and awe-inspiring. Here, audiences celebrated revues and political plays that came to define the Berlin of the Roaring Twenties.
The National Socialists had no room for such flights of fancy. They tore out the stalactite ceiling and renamed the venue the “Theater des Volkes” (Theater of the People). From then on, the programming consisted primarily of operettas.
After the war, nothing remained but a damaged shell. But in 1947, the curtain rose once again—and the building received its new name: Friedrichstadt-Palast.
During the GDR era, the Palast became the country’s largest show venue. Here, you could witness magnificent revues featuring massive ensembles. Millions tuned in to watch television programs like the famous Kessel Buntes, which was filmed right here at the Palast. And down in the basement, people would gather at the dance restaurant Große Melodie—a trendy hotspot for music and young people in East Berlin.
However, the old building eventually fell into disrepair. In 1980, the final curtain fell. But the GDR wanted to
make a statement. And so, a new building was constructed—a prestige project—right here
at Friedrichstraße 107.
On April 27, 1984, you witnessed its opening. The new venue was a sensation: Europe’s
largest stage, a massive water basin, and even an ice rink for winter revues. And
then came the legendary kickline—32 dancers standing side by side, in perfect unison.
A truly goosebump-inducing moment.
Following reunification, the Palast remained Berlin’s premier revue theater. Today,
it attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Its “Grand Shows” are opulent, colorful, modern—and unique in Europe.
Since 2020, the Palast has been a designated heritage site. It is not merely a theater, but also
a monument to the late GDR era.
As you gaze upon the façade now, you can almost hear the applause of decades past.
And when you look at the stage, remember this: Elephants, dancers,
stars, and statesmen have all stood right here.
The Friedrichstadt-Palast—it is more than just a building.
It is a piece of Berlin’s very soul. Image 1: Interior based on designs by Hans Poelzig, by Hans Poelzig (1869–1936) –
https://architekturmuseum.ub.tu-berlin.de/P/117773.php, CC0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80422697
Image 2: By Bundesarchiv, Image 183-L1109-0305 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5365944
Image 3: By Taxiarchos228 – Own work, FAL,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27941401
Friedrichstadt-Palast
Aus dem Audiowalk Berlin Like You’ve Never Heard It Before – True Stories & Secrets
254:05 min Audio
8
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Andere Stationen in dieser Audiotour:
A Brief Excursion into Berlin's History (7:59 min) • St. Nicholas' Church / St. Nicholas' Quarter (2:49 min) • Newspaper District (4:28 min) • Checkpoint Charlie (1:55 min) • Former Gestapo Headquarters (2:57 min) • Former Tempelhof Airport (3:46 min) • 7 Wannsee Conference (4:45 min) • Walther Rathenau Memorial (2:34 min) • Olympic Stadium / 1936 Olympic Games (5:36 min) • Commune 1 (2:27 min) • Benno Ohnesorg / Student Movement (2:16 min) • Rolf Eden (1:54 min) • Café Kranzler (2:08 min) • Kurfürstendamm (3:03 min) • Zoo Palace (3:47 min) • Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (2:22 min) • Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg (3:28 min) • Schöneberg Town Hall (2:33 min) • Former Sportpalast / Sportpalast Speech (5:12 min) • Bendlerblock/Stauffenberg assassination attempt (4:47 min) • Kroll Opera House / Enabling Act (3:09 min) • Reichstag Building (4:14 min) • Reichstag Fire (4:28 min) • Brandenburg Gate (2:52 min) • People's Court (3:08 min) • Potsdamer Place (2:58 min) • Former "Führerbunker" (5:06 min) • "Tresor" (Safe) (1:43 min) • Popular Uprising in the GDR (2:11 min) • Reich Chancellery / Hitler's Seizure of Power (5:11 min) • "Die weiße Maus" (The White Mouse) (2:57 min) • Friedrichstraße Station / "Tränenpalast" (Palace of Tears) (3:46 min) • Humboldt University (1:56 min) • Berlin Palace (5:04 min) • Red City Hall (2:30 min) • Alexanderplatz (2:30 min) • Otto Weidt's Workshop for the Blind / Anne Frank Center (2:05 min) • Hackesche Höfe (5:21 min) • Rosenthaler Platz (2:58 min) • St. Sophia's Church (3:03 min) • Sophie-Gips Courtyards (2:08 min) • Koppenplatz (3:16 min) • Clärchen's Dance Hall (3:54 min) • New Synagogue (2:19 min) • Berliner Ensemble (3:55 min) • Dorotheenstadt Cemetery (2:25 min) • Bloody May (2:18 min) • Humboldthain Flak Tower (5:17 min) • Chris Gueffroy and the Victims of the Wall (1:28 min) • Tunnel 57 / Egon Schultz (2:40 min) • AMIGA (1:37 min) • Bernauer Street (4:07 min) • Former Bornholmer Straße Border Crossing (3:26 min) • Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn Sports Park (3:43 min) • Mauerpark (4:07 min) • Arkonaplatz (3:03 min) • Zion Church (3:44 min) • Prenzlauer Berg Fire Station (3:18 min) • Hirschhof (2:41 min) • Freya Klier (2:28 min) • Prater (2:28 min) • Oderberger Straße Municipal Baths (3:36 min) • Oderberger Street 2 (1:58 min) • Currywurst (2:16 min) • Konnopke's Snack Bar (2:43 min) • Gethsemane Church (2:09 min) • Museum in the Kulturbrauerei (1:06 min) • Kulturbrauerei (3:24 min) • Frannz-Club (2:31 min) • Husemann Street (1:58 min) • Jews' Passage (3:32 min) • Prenzlauer Berg Water Tower (2:37 min) • Rosa Luxemburg Square (4:34 min) • Mont Klamott (1:43 min) • Samaritan Church (2:23 min) • Former Stasi Headquarters / Stasi Museum (2:48 min) • Berlin-Karlshorst Museum / Unconditional Surrender (2:54 min) • East Side Gallery (2:59 min) • House Squatting in the 1980s (2:34 min)
