View source for Amateurbühne münster-ost e.V.

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The '''amateurbühne münster-ost e. V.''' is an amateur theatre association in [[wikipedia:Münster|Münster]], [[wikipedia:North Rhine-Westphalia|North Rhine-Westphalia]], Germany. Founded in 1891 as the theatre section of a Catholic workers' association in the parish of Herz Jesu, it became an independent club in 1959 and took its present name in 1969. It stages about three productions a year: a comedy, a drama and a fairy-tale play for children.<ref name="about" />

== History ==
The group was founded in 1891 as the theatre section of the KAB (''Katholische Arbeitnehmer-Bewegung'', Catholic Workers' Movement). It first performed in the Kettelerheim in Münster; when the building was used as a store during the First World War, it moved to the Gertrudenhof. After the Second World War the section was revived in 1949 under Eduard Ruhkamp and, once the Herz Jesu church had been rebuilt, used the parish hall with its large stage. Ruhkamp's son Hardy took over in 1957; in 1959 the group elected its first independent board, and in 1969 it was renamed ''amateurbühne münster-ost e. V.'' Fairy-tale plays for children were added to the programme in 1972. After Hardy Ruhkamp's death in 1992 his daughter Beate became chairwoman, with her sister Gaby as managing director.<ref name="about" />

The association celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2016 with guest performances by friendly groups and a theatre ball attended by the mayor of Münster, Markus Lewe. At the turn of 2020/21 it left the Pfarrer-Eltrop-Heim, its venue for decades, and after a short period at the Bennohaus it has had no permanent venue, performing at changing locations.<ref name="about" />

According to its own statistics, from 1947 to 2020 the group staged 178 productions, among them seven operettas, two song plays and one musical, with a total of 1,539 performances; since 1972 it has performed 102 children's plays.<ref name="fakten" /> It describes itself as one of the largest clubs in the North Rhine-Westphalian amateur theatre association, with about 200 adult and 85 young members.<ref name="about" />

== Repertoire ==
Recent productions include [[wikipedia:Max Frisch|Max Frisch]]'s ''[[wikipedia:Andorra (play)|Andorra]]'' and ''Alice im Wunderland'' (2024), [[wikipedia:Friedrich Dürrenmatt|Friedrich Dürrenmatt]]'s ''[[wikipedia:The Visit (play)|Der Besuch der alten Dame]]'', [[wikipedia:William Mastrosimone|William Mastrosimone]]'s ''Bis zum Äußersten'' (''[[wikipedia:Extremities (play)|Extremities]]''), ''Die Biene Maja'' (2025) and, in April 2026, [[wikipedia:Yasmina Reza|Yasmina Reza]]'s ''[[wikipedia:God of Carnage|Der Gott des Gemetzels]]'' at the Festhalle in [[wikipedia:Everswinkel|Everswinkel]].<ref name="home" />

=== Children's and youth theatre ===
Children and young people aged 6 to 16 rehearse in up to three groups from January to July and present their plays at a children's and youth afternoon before the summer holidays; they can also take part in the annual fairy-tale production in November and December. The groups are led by two or three members each, who regularly attend training, including on preventing sexual violence.<ref name="jugend" />

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="about">[https://amateurbuehne.de/unser-theater/ueber-uns/ Über uns], amateurbühne münster-ost e.V., retrieved 14 October 2026. [https://web.archive.org/web/20261014192030/https://amateurbuehne.de/unser-theater/ueber-uns/ Archived] on 14 October 2026.</ref>
<ref name="fakten">[https://amateurbuehne.de/unser-theater/zahlen-und-fakten/ Einige interessante Fakten von 1947 – 2020], amateurbühne münster-ost e.V., retrieved 14 October 2026. [https://web.archive.org/web/20261014192227/https://amateurbuehne.de/unser-theater/zahlen-und-fakten/ Archived] on 14 October 2026.</ref>
<ref name="home">[https://amateurbuehne.de/ amateurbühne münster-ost – Wir machen Theater im Netz!], amateurbühne münster-ost e.V., retrieved 14 October 2026. [https://web.archive.org/web/20261014192305/https://amateurbuehne.de/ Archived] on 14 October 2026.</ref>
<ref name="jugend">[https://amateurbuehne.de/unser-theater/kinder-und-jugendtheatergruppe/ Kinder- und Jugendtheatergruppe], amateurbühne münster-ost e.V., retrieved 14 October 2026. [https://web.archive.org/web/20260612202859/https://amateurbuehne.de/unser-theater/kinder-und-jugendtheatergruppe/ Archived] on 12 June 2026.</ref>
</references>