View source for Welfenbühne Steingaden

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The '''Welfenbühne Steingaden e. V.''' is an amateur theatre association in [[wikipedia:Steingaden|Steingaden]], [[wikipedia:Weilheim-Schongau|district of Weilheim-Schongau]], Upper Bavaria, Germany.<ref name="impressum" /> It stages plays in the parish hall of Steingaden and organises ''Welfs Erbe'', a large open-air historical play on the village market square about [[wikipedia:Steingaden Abbey|Steingaden Abbey]].<ref name="mitteilung2025" /><ref name="kreisbote2025" />

== History ==
''Welfs Erbe'' was written by Karl Müller-Hindelang for the 850th anniversary of Steingaden in 1997 and revived in 2003, each time with more than 300 participants. A third staging, planned for the 875th anniversary in 2022, was postponed because of the [[wikipedia:COVID-19 pandemic in Germany|COVID-19 pandemic]] and took place in 2026, organised by a committee of the Welfenbühne.<ref name="kreisbote2025" /><ref name="vbat2026" />

== Repertoire ==
Besides the open-air play, the association stages comedies in the parish hall (''Pfarrsaal''), directed in 2024 and 2025 by the Munich director and theatre educator Gisela Maria Schmitz.<ref name="mitteilung2025" /><ref name="kreisbote2025" />

''Welfs Erbe'' tells the history of the [[wikipedia:Premonstratensians|Premonstratensian]] abbey from its foundation by [[wikipedia:Welf VI|Welf VI]] in 1147 to its dissolution in the secularisation of 1803.<ref name="kreisbote2025" /> The 2026 production, directed by Karl Müller-Hindelang, Gisela Maria Schmitz and Christian Schönfelder, involved more than 300 participants, horses and riders, a choir of 80 and a theatre orchestra of the local brass band playing music by Manfred Glowatzki; nine performances were given from 18 July to 8 August 2026 in front of a stand with 714 seats.<ref name="vbat2026" /><ref name="fa2026" />

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Productions (incomplete)
! Year !! Title !! Author !! Notes
|-
| 1997 || ''Welfs Erbe'' || Karl Müller-Hindelang || Open-air, market square; 850th anniversary of Steingaden<ref name="kreisbote2025" />
|-
| 2003 || ''Welfs Erbe'' || Karl Müller-Hindelang || Revival<ref name="kreisbote2025" />
|-
| 2022 || ''Nautilus'' || Andreas Vecchioni || <ref name="mitteilung2025" />
|-
| 2024 || ''I hired a contract killer'' || after [[wikipedia:Aki Kaurismäki|Aki Kaurismäki]] || Directed by Gisela Maria Schmitz<ref name="mitteilung2025" />
|-
| 2025 || ''Die Groteske'' || Andreas Vecchioni || April, Pfarrsaal; directed by Gisela Maria Schmitz<ref name="mitteilung2025" />
|-
| 2026 || ''Welfs Erbe'' || Karl Müller-Hindelang || Open-air, market square, 18 July – 8 August<ref name="vbat2026" />
|}

== Venue ==
Plays are performed in the parish hall of Steingaden; ''Welfs Erbe'' is played on the cobbled market square in the village centre.<ref name="mitteilung2025" /><ref name="fa2026" />

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="impressum">[https://web.archive.org/web/20251113161352/https://www.xn--welfenbhne-geb.de/impressum/ Impressum], Welfenbühne Steingaden e. V., archived 13 November 2025, retrieved 27 October 2026.</ref>
<ref name="mitteilung2025">[https://www.steingaden.de/fileadmin/users/501/Mitteilungsblatt_14.03.2025.pdf Mitteilungsblatt 14.03.2025], Gemeinde Steingaden, 14 March 2025, retrieved 27 October 2026. [https://web.archive.org/web/20261028114620/https://www.steingaden.de/fileadmin/users/501/Mitteilungsblatt_14.03.2025.pdf Archived] on 28 October 2026.</ref>
<ref name="kreisbote2025">[https://www.kreisbote.de/lokales/weilheim-schongau/welfs-erbe-kehrt-2026-zurueck-steingadens-geschichte-auf-der-freilichtbuehne-94036030.html Welfs Erbe kehrt 2026 zurück: Steingadens Geschichte auf der Freilichtbühne], Kreisbote, 13 November 2025, retrieved 27 October 2026. [https://web.archive.org/web/20261028114731/https://www.kreisbote.de/lokales/weilheim-schongau/welfs-erbe-kehrt-2026-zurueck-steingadens-geschichte-auf-der-freilichtbuehne-94036030.html Archived] on 28 October 2026.</ref>
<ref name="vbat2026">[https://www.amateurtheater-bayern.de/index.php?modul=stueck_show&stueck_id=5358 Welfs Erbe], Verband Bayerischer Amateurtheater, retrieved 27 October 2026. [https://web.archive.org/web/20261028114818/https://www.amateurtheater-bayern.de/index.php?modul=stueck_show&stueck_id=5358 Archived] on 28 October 2026.</ref>
<ref name="fa2026">[https://www.fuessenaktuell.de/index.php/2026/05/premiere-fuer-welfs-erbe/ Premiere für „Welfs Erbe“], Füssen aktuell, May 2026, retrieved 27 October 2026. [https://web.archive.org/web/20261028114857/https://www.fuessenaktuell.de/index.php/2026/05/premiere-fuer-welfs-erbe/ Archived] on 28 October 2026.</ref>
</references>