Deutscher Dramatischer Verein in New York

• The Deutscher Dramatischer Verein was a 19th-century German amateur theatre association in New York City. It initially performed in a hall at 83 Anthony Street in Lower Manhattan and later moved to the Franklin Theatre at 175 Chatham Street. The Deutscher Dramatischer Verein was part of a broader German-language cultural life that flourished in New York City during the mid-19th century. Large numbers of German immigrants had settled in the city, particularly in Kleindeutschland on the Lower East Side. Alongside singing societies, reading clubs, and Turnvereine (gymnastic associations), amateur theatres served as important spaces for preserving language, identity, and traditions.

History

The earliest documented performances took place in January 1840 and received favorable reviews in the New Yorker Staatszeitung, one of the leading German-language newspapers of the time. Among the first plays staged were Der gerade Weg ist der Beste, a comedy by August Kotzebue, and Hedwig, die Banditenbraut by Theodor Körner. These performances were supported musically by the Musikalischer Tätigkeitverein. Admission was set at 50 cents, but access was initially restricted to members of the society. Non-members could also attend if they agreed to join the association upon purchasing a ticket.

Literature

• Fritz A. Leuchs (1928). The Early German Theatre in New York – 1840-1872. New York Columbia University Press.
• Berenika Szymanski-Düll (2022): „Theater in Bewegung. Ein kurzer Blick auf das lange 19. Jahrhundert“, in: Stefan Hulfeld (Hg.) für die Arbeitsgruppe Historiografie der Gesellschaft für Theaterwissenschaft: Unerhörte Theatergeschichten. Ein Lesebuch. Wien: Holitzer Verlag, S. 77-83.