Gem.Verein "Alt-Nördlingen"
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The Verein Alt Nördlingen e. V. (VAN) is a non-profit heritage and theatre association in Nördlingen in the district of Donau-Ries, Swabia, Germany. Founded in 1924 to preserve the cultural traditions of the former imperial city, it has run the open-air amateur theatre Freilichtbühne Alte Bastei in a bastion of the town wall every summer since 1949, except in 2020.[1][2]
| Gem.Verein "Alt-Nördlingen" e. V. | |
| Founded | 12 September 1924 |
|---|---|
| Legal form | Registered association (eingetragener Verein) |
| Member of | Verband Bayerischer Amateurtheater |
| Location | |
| Headquarters | Nördlingen |
| Country | Germany |
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| |
| Links | |
| Website | freilichtbuehne-noerdlingen.de |
| Social media | |
History
The association was founded on 12 September 1924 at the Gasthof Walfisch at the invitation of mayor Otto Mainer, with more than 200 citizens attending. Its aims were to stage the historical festival play Anno 1634, a historical procession recreating the reception of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, historical dance plays and the traditional Stabenfest, and generally to keep alive the cultural heritage of the town and promote its economic life.[2] The festival play Anno 1634 by the Fessenheim pastor Wolf Meyer-Erlach, about the Battle of Nördlingen of 1634, premiered on 25 July 1925 in the hall of the Hotel Deutsches Haus, directed by Fritz Basil of the Munich court theatre; it was repeated six times in three weeks before sold-out houses, with special trains bringing visitors from Munich, Nuremberg and Stuttgart.[3]
The idea of using the Alte Bastei as a natural stage came from Johannes Flierl, a founding member who became the association's director of plays in 1948 and later its chairman. Around 1930 he staged a Tell play there with lay actors, and at Whitsun 1932 he presented plays by Hans Sachs in the Bastei.[4] Regular summer seasons on the open-air stage began in 1949. Since 1995 a children's and youth play has been staged each year alongside the main production.[1][5]
Repertoire
The repertoire includes classics, popular theatre, musicals, children's plays and, repeatedly, plays on the history of Nördlingen and the Ries, such as several versions of the story of Maria Holl, a woman accused of witchcraft in Nördlingen.[1][5]
| Year | Title | Author | Director and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Vier Freier um Barbara | G. A. Zipperer | Hans Flierl |
| 1950 | Anno 1634 | Wolf Meyer-Erlach | Hannes Steininger; 1950/51 |
| 1951 | Jedermann | Hugo von Hofmannsthal | Hannes Steininger; 1951/52 |
| 1953 | Die Rabensteinerin | Ernst von Wildenbruch | Hannes Steininger |
| 1954 | Maria Holl – Die Hexe von Nördlingen | L. Sporhan | Hannes Steininger |
| 1955 | Der Geiger von Gmünd | adapted by G. A. Zipperer | Hannes Steininger |
| 1956 | Der Verschwender | Ferdinand Raimund | Hans Rubin |
| 1957 | Die Mühlenlegende | Costa | Hans Rubin |
| 1958 | Die Nibelungen | Friedrich Hebbel | Hans Rubin |
| 1959 | Wallensteins Tod | Friedrich Schiller | Hans Rubin |
| 1960 | Der Reiter | Heinrich Zerkaulen | Hans Rubin |
| 1961 | Der zerbrochene Krug | Heinrich von Kleist | Hans Rubin |
| 1962 | Das große Welttheater | Hugo von Hofmannsthal | Hans Rubin |
| 1963 | Der Jäger von Fall | Ludwig Ganghofer | Hans Rubin |
| 1964 | Friedrich von Hürnheim | Michael Eberhardt | Karl Huith |
| 1965 | Die deutschen Kleinstädter | August von Kotzebue | Karl Huith |
| 1966 | Schneider Wibbel | Hans Müller-Schlösser | Karl Huith |
| 1966 | Der Glöckner von Notre Dame | Charlotte Birch-Pfeiffer | Karl Huith |
| 1967 | Das Wirtshaus im Spessart | Paul Wanner | Karl Huith |
| 1968 | Der Schelm von Bergen | Wilhelm Dörffler | Karl Huith |
| 1969 | Der falsche Herzog | unknown | Karl Huith |
| 1970 | Vier Freier um Barbara | G. A. Zipperer | Karl Huith |
| 1971 | Aber Herr Bürgermeister | Hans Müller-Schlösser | Karl Huith |
| 1972 | Der Revisor | Nikolai Gogol | Karl Huith |
| 1973 | Der fröhliche Weinberg | Carl Zuckmayer | Karl Huith |
| 1974 | Die Weiber von Schorndorf | Paul Wanner | Karl Huith |
| 1976 | Datterich | Ernst Elias Niebergall | Karl Huith |
| 1977 | Kleider machen Leute | Paul Wanner | Karl Huith |
| 1978 | Maria Holl – Die Hexe von Nördlingen | L. Sporhan | Karl Huith |
| 1979 | Der Schneider von Ulm | Paul Wanner | Karl Huith |
| 1980 | Die Weiber von Weinsberg | Paul Wanner | Karl Huith |
| 1981 | Der Maulkorb | Heinrich Spoerl | Karl Huith |
| 1982 | Ihr 106. Geburtstag | Jean Sarment | Karl Huith |
| 1983 | Komödie der Irrungen | William Shakespeare | Hans Fischer |
| 1984 | Die arge Not von Nördlingen | Franz Taut, adapted by Hans Fischer | Hans Fischer |
| 1985 | Die Dame von Maxim | Georges Feydeau | Hans Fischer |
| 1986 | Der Bürger als Edelmann | Molière | Hans Fischer |
| 1987 | So G'sell so | Hans Fischer | Hans Fischer |
| 1988 | Die Freier | Joseph von Eichendorff | Hans Fischer |
| 1988 | Der Kater | Ludwig Tieck | Hans Fischer |
| 1989 | Ein Sommernachtstraum | William Shakespeare | Hans Fischer |
| 1990 | Jedermann | Hugo von Hofmannsthal | Hans Fischer |
| 1991 | Scapins Schelmenstreiche | Molière | Hans Fischer |
| 1991 | Das ist doch wie verhext | Hans Fischer | Hans Fischer |
| 1992 | Deutsche Kleinstädter | August von Kotzebue | Hans Fischer |
| 1993 | Der Lügner | Carlo Goldoni | Frank Grupe |
| 1994 | Der Bauer als Millionär | Ferdinand Raimund | Frank Grupe |
| 1995 | Der Brandner Kaspar und das ewige Leben | Kurt Wilhelm | Helmi Kling and Frank Grupe |
| 1995 | Der Räuber Hotzenplotz | Otfried Preußler | Elfi Wagner and Betty Schneider; first children's production |
| 1996 | Der Widerspenstigen Zähmung | William Shakespeare | Helmi Kling and Frank Grupe |
| 1996 | Max und Moritz | Wilhelm Busch | Elfi Wagner and Betty Schneider; children's production |
| 1997 | Die Dachserin / Erster Klasse | Ludwig Thoma | Helmi Kling and Frank Grupe |
| 1997 | Das Dschungelbuch | Rudyard Kipling | Elfi Wagner and Betty Schneider; children's production |
| 1998 | Maria Holl – Die Hexe von Nördlingen | Frank Grupe | Helmi Kling and Frank Grupe |
| 1998 | Pinocchios Abenteuer | after Carlo Collodi | Elfi Wagner and Betty Schneider; children's production |
| 1999 | Lysistrate oder Die Kriegslist der Weiber | Frank Grupe after Aristophanes | Helmi Kling and Frank Grupe |
| 1999 | Die kleine Hexe | Otfried Preußler | Elfi Wagner and Betty Schneider; children's production |
| 2000 | Die Dreigroschenoper | Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill | Helmi Kling |
| 2000 | Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer | Michael Ende | Elfi Wagner and Betty Schneider; children's production |
| 2001 | 1634 – Schicksalsjahr der freien Reichsstadt Nördlingen | Frank Grupe | Helmi Kling |
| 2001 | Der Teufel mit den drei goldenen Haaren | after the Brothers Grimm | Elfi Wagner and Betty Schneider; children's production |
| 2002 | Die Pfingstorgel | Alois Johannes Lippl | Helmi Kling |
| 2002 | Totentanz | Alois Johannes Lippl | Helmi Kling; in the church of St. Josef |
| 2002 | Pippi Langstrumpf | Astrid Lindgren | Elfi Wagner and Betty Schneider; children's production |
| 2003 | Die drei Musketiere | Theodor Schübel after Alexandre Dumas | Helmi Kling |
| 2003 | Die Prinzessin auf der Erbse | Dolly Hardt after Hans Christian Andersen | Elfi Wagner and Betty Schneider; children's production |
| 2004 | Georg Cratzer – Der Bleisiegelfälscher von Nördlingen | Frank Grupe | Helmi Kling |
| 2004 | Die Biene Maja | musical after Waldemar Bonsels | Elfi Wagner and Betty Schneider; children's production |
| 2005 | Der Mann von La Mancha | Dale Wasserman and Joe Darion / Mitch Leigh | Helmi Kling; musical Man of La Mancha |
| 2005 | Jedermann | Hugo von Hofmannsthal | Helmi Kling; in St. George's Church |
| 2005 | Emil und die Detektive | after Erich Kästner | Simone Hager and Heinz Maier; children's production |
| 2006 | Die Moritat vom Rieser Schimmel | Alois Johannes Lippl | Helmi Kling |
| 2006 | Aladin und die Wunderlampe | Stefan Schroeder | Simone Hager; children's production |
| 2007 | Der Talisman | Johann Nestroy | Gerhard Jilka and Daniela Sachs |
| 2007 | Alice im Wunderland | Lewis Carroll | Simone Hager; children's production |
| 2008 | Pension Schöller | Carl Laufs and Wilhelm Jacoby | Gerhard Jilka |
| 2008 | Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten | after the Brothers Grimm | Elfi Wagner and Betty Schneider; children's production |
| 2009 | Maria Holl – Die Hexe von Nördlingen | Frank Grupe | Gerhard Jilka |
| 2009 | Der Zauberer von Oz | Manfred Hinrichs-Bettinger | Elfi Wagner and Betty Schneider; children's production |
| 2010 | Ein Sommernachtstraum | William Shakespeare | Gerhard Jilka |
| 2010 | Das Dschungelbuch | Rudyard Kipling | Elfi Wagner and Betty Schneider; children's production |
| 2011 | In 80 Tagen um die Welt | Jules Verne, adapted by Barbara Lackermeier | Gerhard Jilka |
| 2011 | Magdalena | Ludwig Thoma | Helmi Kling and Ulla Schrödersecker |
| 2011 | Lukas und Jim Knopf | Michael Ende | Elfi Wagner and Betty Schneider; children's production |
| 2012 | Der Geizige | Molière | Gerhard Jilka |
| 2012 | Die Schöne und das Biest | Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont | Elfi Wagner and Betty Schneider; children's production |
| 2013 | Im weißen Rössl | Oscar Blumenthal and Gustav Kadelburg | Barbara Lackermeier |
| 2013 | Die kleine Hexe | Otfried Preußler | Elfi Wagner and Betty Schneider; children's production |
| 2014 | Das Haus der Bernarda | after Federico García Lorca | Barbara Lackermeier |
| 2014 | Die goldene Gans | after the Brothers Grimm | Elfi Wagner and Betty Schneider; children's production |
| 2015 | Schikaneder – Sommer der Gaukler | after Robert Hültner | Barbara Lackermeier |
| 2015 | Urmel aus dem Eis | after Max Kruse | Annette Mack and Alexander Plöger; children's production |
| 2016 | Kohlhiesels Töchter | after Hans Kräly and Georg Zoch | Barbara Lackermeier |
| 2016 | Das kleine Gespenst | Otfried Preußler | Annette Mack and Alexander Plöger; children's production |
| 2017 | Els – Die Frauenhausakte von Nördlingen | Barbara Lackermeier and Timo Meister | Barbara Lackermeier and Timo Meister |
| 2017 | Der kleine Ritter Trenk | Kirsten Boie | Annette Mack and Alexander Plöger; children's production |
| 2018 | Der bayrische Jedermann | Oskar Weber | Ulla Schrödersecker |
| 2018 | Der Froschkönig | after the Brothers Grimm | Annette Mack and Alexander Plöger; children's production |
| 2019 | Das Wirtshaus im Spessart | after Wilhelm Hauff | Markus Hirschberger |
| 2019 | Jim Knopf und die Wilde 13 | Michael Ende | Annette Mack and Alexander Plöger; children's production |
| 2021 | Boeing, Boeing | Marc Camoletti | Markus Hirschberger |
| 2022 | Pippi | Astrid Lindgren | Annette Mack and Alexander Plöger; children's production |
| 2022 | Georg Cratzer | Frank Grupe | Markus Hirschberger |
| 2023 | Don Camillo & Peppone & die jungen Leute | Rolf Wilken | Winfried Frey |
| 2023 | Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten | Sabine Scholz | Annette Mack and Madlen Kleinmann; children's production |
| 2024 | My Fair Lady | Alan Jay Lerner | Carmen-Dorothé Moll; year inferred from position in the list |
| 2024 | Der kleine Vampir | Angela Sommer-Bodenburg, dramatised by Wolf-Dietrich Sprenger | Annette Mack and Madlen Kleinmann; children's production |
| 2025 | Maria Holl – Hexenjagd in Nördlingen | Frank Grupe | Carmen-Dorothé Moll |
| 2025 | Tabaluga – Es lebe die Freundschaft | after an idea by Peter Maffay, Rolf Zuckowski and Gregor Rottschalk | Annette Mack and Madlen Kleinmann; children's production |
| 2026 | Das Dschungelbuch | Wolfgang Welter after Rudyard Kipling | Annette Mack and Madlen Kleinmann; children's production |
| 2026 | Der Brandner Kaspar | Kurt Wilhelm | Markus Hirschberger |
Organisation
The mayor of Nördlingen sits on the board of the Verein Alt Nördlingen.[6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Verein Alt Nördlingen – Willkommen, Verein Alt Nördlingen e. V., retrieved 17 October 2026. Archived on 12 July 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Die Vereinsgründung und die ersten Jahre, Verein Alt Nördlingen e. V., retrieved 17 October 2026. Archived on 11 June 2026.
- ↑ Das Festspiel „Anno 1634 – Die Schlacht bei Nördlingen“, Verein Alt Nördlingen e. V., retrieved 17 October 2026. Archived on 14 May 2026.
- ↑ Die Bastei, Verein Alt Nördlingen e. V., retrieved 17 October 2026. Archived on 20 October 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Chronik – bisher wurde gespielt, Verein Alt Nördlingen e. V., retrieved 17 October 2026. Archived on 14 May 2026.
- ↑ Satzung und Vorstand, Verein Alt Nördlingen e. V., retrieved 17 October 2026. Archived on 12 July 2026.