Forerunner The Königsberg theatre began with
carnival games and school comedies at the beginning of the
16th century. In 1552,
Conquest of Rome by
Georg Sabinus was performed in the courtyard, and in 1573
The Fall of Man by the schoolmaster Roll. In 1605,
Marie Eleonore of Cleves had English comedians perform for her in
Königsberg Castle. In 1618, they played
Shakespeare. The first opera,
Cleomedes by
Heinrich Albert, was performed by students in 1635 before
Władysław IV Vasa. In 1688
Christopher Marlowe's
The Tragic History of Doctor Faustus was performed. Arranged by director Hilferding, the Schönemann company played Dr. Faustus, Molière's
Tartuffe and
Gottsched's
The Dying Cato. In 1753
Frederick the Great donated Kreytzenschen Square to the theatre director
Konrad Ernst Ackermann to build a permanent theatre. With the money of businessman Friedrich Saturgus, Ackermann built the 300-seat theatre as the first in the
Kingdom of Prussia. It was opened in 1755 with
Racine's
"Mithridate".
Lessing's
Miss Sara Sampson followed. Fearing the
Seven Years' War, Ackermann left Königsberg in 1756 and went to
Leipzig. In 1879, under the direction of
Max Staegemann and conducted by
Emil Paur, the German premiere of Bizet's
Carmen began, with which it began its global triumph. After the theatre collapsed again after 1890, the foyer was rebuilt and restaurants were added in 1893. In 1903 the theatre was fitted out with electrical lighting. At the beginning of the
First World War, the theatre was rededicated as a hospital. Reopened on 27 August 1918 as a pure opera house, in 1924 it was merged with the
New Playhouse to form the
East Prussian State Theatre. The first performance of
Der Rosenkavalier by
Richard Strauss took place in 1927. In 1928 the city acquired both theatres. The history of the theatre ended in
World War II when it burned to the ground during the
air raids on Königsberg at the end of August 1944. ==Directors and artistic directors==