The Officers Quarter (Germany)

The Officers’ Quarter was built in the 1860s and throughout the course of the following century experienced a tumultuous (political) history. In the beginning, the theatre and concert hall not only featured numerous concerts by renowned philharmonic orchestras but also showcased the crème de la crème of the German acting gild in well-known theatre productions. During this time, the hall was frequently remodeled to comply with ‘modern’ demands – each time involving some of the most talented contemporary architects of the époque. During the Second World War, the Officers’ Quarter hosted many NSDAP (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei)-events and even became the official ‘Kraft durch Freude Concert Hall’. After the war, the Soviets claimed the hall and dubbed it ‘Red Army Hall’; later on, they renamed it to: ‘Soviets’ Officers Club’. In those days, the club featured a cinema, library, restaurant and a discotheque. To symbolize the German-Soviet-friendship, they even placed a giant statue of Lenin in front of the buildings. After the Red Army hed left, the place became abandoned… Lenin’s statue disappeared. Nowadays, this (once) majestic theatre hall is in an advanced state of decay.