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'''Volkstheater Ritterschauspiele Kiefersfelden''', run by the Theatergesellschaft Kiefersfelden e. V., is an amateur theatre in [[wikipedia:Kiefersfelden|Kiefersfelden]] in the [[wikipedia:Rosenheim (district)|district of Rosenheim]], [[wikipedia:Upper Bavaria|Upper Bavaria]], Germany. Theatre activity in the village is first documented in 1618; since 1833 the company has staged 19th-century ''Ritterschauspiele'' (knight plays) on a historic revolving-wing stage in its own theatre house, the ''Comedihütte''.<ref name="chronik" /><ref name="dewiki" /> Each summer it gives around ten performances of one play from its own archive.<ref name="dewiki" />

== History ==
The company dates its beginnings to 1618, when documents first record plays, mainly passion and other religious plays, performed at the farm of the Veitbauer below the old parish church.<ref name="chronik" /> The German Wikipedia notes that this date was set by a local chronicler without firm historical evidence.<ref name="dewiki" /> From 1720 the ''Heilig-Kreuz-Bruderschaft'' (Brotherhood of the Holy Cross) organised performances of biblical plays and saints' legends in the manner of [[wikipedia:Jesuit drama|Jesuit drama]]. The oldest surviving Kiefersfelden play text with a recorded performance is the ''Schutzengelspiel'' by Simon Trost, performed in 1753. General bans on passion plays (1770) and on all religious plays (1784) also affected Kiefersfelden. In 1801 a new wooden theatre shed, the ''Theaterschupfe'', was built on the site of the present theatre. In 1809 the village vowed a passion play if it were spared in the war; after the authorities refused permission in 1812, the vowed passion was performed for the first time in 1813, in a version of the Oberammergau text.<ref name="chronik" />

In 1833 the old shed was replaced by a larger building with an enlarged revolving-wing stage, and secular knight plays took the place of religious drama. Many of them were written by Josef Georg Schmalz (1804–1845), a charcoal burner from the [[wikipedia:Tyrol (state)|Tyrolean]] Zillertal; twelve of his 23 known plays survive as manuscripts in the company's archive.<ref name="chronik" /> Performances were banned in 1843–1848 and 1851–1861. The travel writer Ludwig Steub campaigned for the theatre from 1862, and in 1868 the company received a permanent licence. Around 1886 the shoemaker and bandmaster Sylvester Greiderer, director in 1886–1887 and 1897–1899, reorganised the association as the ''Active Theatergesellschaft Kiefersfelden'', revised Schmalz's plays and composed stage music that is still partly in use.<ref name="chronik" />

The First World War stopped performances from 1914 to 1919, and the Second World War cut short the 1939 season on 1 September; playing resumed in 1947 with a licence from the US military government. In 1935 the company successfully resisted an attempt by the [[wikipedia:Nazi Party|NSDAP]] to use the theatre for other events. In the 1920s the theatre scholar [[wikipedia:Arthur Kutscher|Arthur Kutscher]] of the University of Munich took an interest in the plays. Since 1956 the members have elected the director and the board at general meetings.<ref name="chronik" /> The company gave its first guest performances outside Kiefersfelden in 2007, with three performances of ''Siegfried und Ludmilla'' at the Rococo theatre of Weitra Castle in [[wikipedia:Weitra|Weitra]], Austria.<ref name="chronik" /><ref name="dewiki" />

The 400th anniversary was marked by a trilogy of productions from 2016 to 2018 and a ceremony in 2018.<ref name="home" /><ref name="chronik" /> The 2020 season was cancelled during the [[wikipedia:COVID-19 pandemic in Germany|COVID-19 pandemic]]. In 2021, when the knight plays could not be staged in the theatre house, the company joined the local band, the Heimatbühne, the costume association, the male-voice choir and the church choir in ''Passio'', an open-air village play in the spa park in honour of [[wikipedia:Saint Sebastian|Saint Sebastian]], the parish patron, with about 150 participants.<ref name="chronik" /><ref name="kn2022" />

== Repertoire ==
The core repertoire is a fixed cycle of romantic knight plays from the company's archive, many by Josef Georg Schmalz, which return at intervals of several years; each season one play is performed. The plays combine High German prose with a comic squire speaking Tyrolean dialect, and include songs and incidental music played by the Musikkapelle Kiefersfelden.<ref name="dewiki" /> The 2025 production of ''Ulrika oder Die Entscheidung um Mitternacht'', directed by Philipp Kurz, was described by the ''Samerberger Nachrichten'' as an "impressive start" to the season.<ref name="snn2025" />

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Productions (incomplete)<ref name="chronik" />
! Year !! Title !! Author !! Notes
|-
| 1753 || ''Schutzengelspiel'' || Simon Trost || Oldest surviving local play text with a recorded performance
|-
| 1769–1774 || ''Heiliger Georgius'', ''Geburt Christi'', ''Komödie von den drei Einsiedlern'', ''Hl. Nothburga'', ''Parabel von den Arbeitern im Weinberg'' || ||
|-
| 1802 || ''Die Fürstin Hirlanda'' || ||
|-
| 1813 || Passion play || after the Oberammergau text || Vowed in 1809; first and last passion play performance
|-
| 1815 || ''Spiel von der Auffindung des Heiligen Kreuzes'' || ||
|-
| 1816 || ''Das Geistliche Recht'' || ||
|-
| 1817 || ''Anderl von Rinn'' || ||
|-
| 1818 || ''Sieg der Heiligen Katharina'' || || Tragedy
|-
| 1820 || ''Johann Faust'' || ||
|-
| 1825 || ''Kreuzerhöhung'' || ||
|-
| 1829 || ''Alphonsus oder Die Rosenkranz-Comedi'' || ||
|-
| 1830 || ''Das geistliche Recht'' || ||
|-
| 1838 || ''Richardus, König von England'' || ||
|-
| 1840 || ''Die Fürstin Hirlanda'' || ||
|-
| 1849 || ''Richardus, König von England'' and ''Adolph von Grauenfels'' || || After the 1843–1848 ban
|-
| 1850 || ''Ezzelin der Grausame'' and ''Der Freischütz oder Der wilde Jäger in der Wolfsschlucht'' || ||
|-
| 1862 || ''Die Heilige Barbara'' and ''Helena, Tochter des mächtigen Kaisers Antonius von Griechenland'' || || After the 1851–1861 ban
|-
| 1863 || ''Valentinus und Ursinus'' and ''Mathilde von Brabant'' || ||
|-
| 1864 || ''Ezzelin der Grausame'' and ''Die beiden Liebhaber'' || ||
|-
| 1868 || ''Floribella'' and ''Nassar, Sohn des Mauren'' || || First season with the permanent licence
|-
| 1869 || ''Schreckenswald von Aggstein'' and ''Hans Dollinger'' || ||
|-
| 1870 || ''Der Heilige Sebastian'' || ||
|-
| 1871 || ''Richardus, König von England'' and ''Die Heilige Barbara'' || ||
|-
| 1872 || ''Adelin und Ludmilla'' and ''Griseldis'' || ||
|-
| 1873 || ''Kaiser Oktavianus'' and ''Otto und Adelheid von Hohenstein'' || ||
|-
| 1874 || ''Helena, Tochter des mächtigen Kaisers Antonius von Griechenland'' and ''Die Heilige Katharina'' || ||
|-
| 1875 || ''Richardus, König von England'' and ''Ezzelin der Grausame'' || ||
|-
| 1876 || ''Frauentreue oder Die Ritter von der Rosen'' || ||
|-
| 1877 || ''Julia oder Die Gekreuzigte'' and ''Theobald von Horsteck'' || ||
|-
| 1878 || ''Floribella'', ''Hartwella die Räuberin'', ''Der Grandprofoß'' and ''Das Landhaus an der Heerstraße'' || ||
|-
| 1880 || ''Randolph und Ludmilla'' and ''Nassar, Sohn der Mauren'' || ||
|-
| 1881 || ''Valentinus und Ursinus'' and ''Adolph von Grauenfels'' || ||
|-
| 1884 || ''Elvira und Almansor'' || ||
|-
| 1886 || ''Richard und Wulfhilde'' || ||
|-
| 1887 || ''Weinhard und Adelise'' and ''Erich der Räuberhauptmann'' || ||
|-
| 1888 || ''Mathilde von Arlstein'' and ''Der Geisterspuk auf dem Schlosse Steineck'' || ||
|-
| 1889 || ''Robert der Teufel'' || ||
|-
| 1890 || ''Ubald von Sternenburg'' and ''Kuno von Trauenstein'' || ||
|-
| 1891 || ''Angelika'' || ||
|-
| 1892 || ''Siegfried und Ludmilla'' || ||
|-
| 1893 || ''Die Grauensteiner'' || ||
|-
| 1894 || ''Elvira und Almansor'' || ||
|-
| 1895 || ''Floribella'' || || Gala performance on 25 August for the dedication of the war memorial
|-
| 1897 || ''Weinhard und Adelise'' || ||
|-
| 1898 || ''Hans Dollinger'' || ||
|-
| 1899 || ''Mathilde von Arlstein'' || ||
|-
| 1900 || ''Wendelin von Aggstein'' || ||
|-
| 1902 || ''Richard und Wulfhilde'' || ||
|-
| 1903 || ''Ubald von Sternenburg'' || ||
|-
| 1904 || ''Robert der Teufel'' || ||
|-
| 1905 || ''Kuno von Trauenstein'' || ||
|-
| 1906 || ''Siegfried und Ludmilla'' || ||
|-
| 1907 || ''Elvira und Almansor'' || ||
|-
| 1908 || ''Angelika'' || ||
|-
| 1909 || ''Richardus, König von England'' || ||
|-
| 1910 || ''Floribella'' || ||
|-
| 1911 || ''Die Grauensteiner'' || ||
|-
| 1912 || ''Weinhard und Adelise'' || ||
|-
| 1913 || ''Ezzelin der Grausame'' || ||
|-
| 1914 || ''Mathilde von Arlstein'' || ||
|-
| 1920 || ''Mathilde von Arlstein'' || ||
|-
| 1921 || ''Kuno von Trauenstein'' || ||
|-
| 1922 || ''Siegfried und Ludmilla'' || ||
|-
| 1923 || ''Richard und Wulfhilde'' || ||
|-
| 1924 || ''Robert der Teufel'' || ||
|-
| 1925 || ''Elvira und Almansor'' || ||
|-
| 1926 || ''Angelika'' || ||
|-
| 1927 || ''Ubald von Sternenburg'' || ||
|-
| 1928 || ''Floribella'' || ||
|-
| 1929 || ''Wendelin von Aggstein'' (''Schreckenswald von Aggstein'') || ||
|-
| 1930 || ''Richardus, König von England'' || ||
|-
| 1931 || ''Weinhard und Adelise'' || ||
|-
| 1932 || ''Ulrika'' || Josef Georg Schmalz ||
|-
| 1933 || ''Kaiser Octavianus'' || Josef Georg Schmalz ||
|-
| 1934 || ''Die Grauensteiner'' || ||
|-
| 1935 || ''Ezzelin der Grausame'' || Josef Georg Schmalz ||
|-
| 1936 || ''Mathilde von Arlstein'' || ||
|-
| 1937 || ''Kuno von Trauenstein'' || ||
|-
| 1938 || ''Siegfried und Ludmilla'' || ||
|-
| 1939 || ''Richard und Wulfhilde'' || || Season broken off on 1 September
|-
| 1947 || ''Angelika'' || ||
|-
| 1948 || ''Robert der Teufel'' || ||
|-
| 1949 || ''Elvira und Almansor'' || ||
|-
| 1950 || ''Weinhard und Adelise'' || ||
|-
| 1951 || ''Floribella'' || ||
|-
| 1952 || ''Richardus, König von England'' || ||
|-
| 1953 || ''Wendelin von Aggstein'' (''Schreckenswald von Aggstein'') || ||
|-
| 1954 || ''Ulrika'' || Josef Georg Schmalz ||
|-
| 1955 || ''Ubald von Sternenburg'' || ||
|-
| 1956 || ''Kaiser Oktavianus'' || Josef Georg Schmalz ||
|-
| 1957 || ''Mathilde von Arlstein'' || ||
|-
| 1958 || ''Ezzelin der Grausame'' || Josef Georg Schmalz ||
|-
| 1959 || ''Kuno von Trauenstein'' || ||
|-
| 1960 || ''Siegfried und Ludmilla'' || ||
|-
| 1961 || ''Richard und Wulfhilde'' || ||
|-
| 1962 || ''Elvira und Almansor'' || ||
|-
| 1963 || ''Angelika'' || ||
|-
| 1964 || ''Floribella'' || Josef Georg Schmalz ||
|-
| 1965 || ''Richardus, König von England'' || ||
|-
| 1966 || ''Weinhard und Adelise'' || ||
|-
| 1967 || ''Wendelin von Aggstein'' (''Schreckenswald von Aggstein'') || ||
|-
| 1968 || ''Ulrika'' || Josef Georg Schmalz ||
|-
| 1969 || ''Kaiser Oktavianus'' || Josef Georg Schmalz ||
|-
| 1970 || ''Ubald von Sternenburg'' || || Directed by Martin Tiefenthaler jun.
|-
| 1971 || ''Siegfried und Ludmilla'' || ||
|-
| 1972 || ''Kuno von Trauenstein'' || ||
|-
| 1973 || ''Elvira und Almansor'' || ||
|-
| 1974 || ''Richard und Wulfhilde'' || ||
|-
| 1975 || ''Mathilde von Arlstein'' || ||
|-
| 1976 || ''Floribella'' || Josef Georg Schmalz ||
|-
| 1977 || ''Ezzelin der Grausame'' || Josef Georg Schmalz ||
|-
| 1978 || ''Die Grauensteiner'' || ||
|-
| 1979 || ''Richardus, König von England'' || ||
|-
| 1980 || ''Angelika'' || ||
|-
| 1981 || ''Weinhard und Adelise'' || ||
|-
| 1982 || ''Wendelin von Aggstein'' || ||
|-
| 1983 || ''Kaiser Oktavianus'' || Josef Georg Schmalz ||
|-
| 1984 || ''Ulrika'' || Josef Georg Schmalz ||
|-
| 1985 || ''Ubald von Sternenburg'' || ||
|-
| 1986 || ''Siegfried und Ludmilla'' || ||
|-
| 1987 || ''Elvira und Almansor'' || ||
|-
| 1988 || ''Floribella'' || Josef Georg Schmalz || Directed by Siegfried Leitner
|-
| 1989 || ''Richard und Wulfhilde'' || ||
|-
| 1990 || ''Kuno von Trauenstein'' || ||
|-
| 1991 || ''Ezzelin der Grausame'' || Josef Georg Schmalz ||
|-
| 1992 || ''Richardus, König von England'' || ||
|-
| 1993 || ''Helena, Tochter des mächtigen Kaisers Antonius von Griechenland'' || Josef Georg Schmalz ||
|-
| 1994 || ''Robert der Teufel'' || ||
|-
| 1995 || ''Valentinus und Ursinus, die Zwillingsbrüder'' || ||
|-
| 1996 || ''Rudolf von Westerburg'' || Josef Georg Schmalz || After a novel by [[wikipedia:Christian Heinrich Spiess|Christian Heinrich Spieß]]<ref name="dewiki" />
|-
| 1997 || ''Angelika'' || || Directed by Michael Gruber
|-
| 1998 || ''Kaiser Oktavianus'' || Josef Georg Schmalz ||
|-
| 1999 || ''Weinhard und Adelise'' || ||
|-
| 2000 || ''Wendelin von Höllenstein'' || Josef Georg Schmalz || After a novel by Joseph Alois Gleich<ref name="dewiki" />
|-
| 2001 || ''Elvira und Almansor'' || ||
|-
| 2002 || ''Floribella'' || Josef Georg Schmalz || Directed by Angelika Bleier
|-
| 2003 || ''Ulrika'' || Josef Georg Schmalz ||
|-
| 2004 || ''Mangolf von Rottenburg'' || || Directed by Andreas Gruber jun.
|-
| 2005 || ''Richard und Wulfhilde'' || ||
|-
| 2006 || ''Ubald von Sternenburg'' || ||
|-
| 2007 || ''Siegfried und Ludmilla'' || || Three guest performances at Weitra Castle, Austria
|-
| 2008 || ''Richardus, König von England'' || || 175 years of the Comedihütte<ref name="dewiki" />
|-
| 2009 || ''Adellin und Ludmilla'' || ||
|-
| 2010 || ''Wendelin von Aggstein'' || ||
|-
| 2011 || ''Ezzelin der Grausame'' || Josef Georg Schmalz ||
|-
| 2012 || ''Helena, Tochter des mächtigen Kaisers Antonius von Griechenland'' || Josef Georg Schmalz ||
|-
| 2013 || ''Rudolf von Westerburg'' || Josef Georg Schmalz ||
|-
| 2014 || ''Valentinus und Ursinus'' || ||
|-
| 2015 || ''Weinhard und Adelise'' || ||
|-
| 2016 || ''Der heilige Sebastian'' || || Anniversary trilogy, part 1
|-
| 2017 || ''Genovefa'' || || Anniversary trilogy, part 2
|-
| 2018 || ''Kaiser Oktavianus'' || Josef Georg Schmalz || 400th-anniversary production; also a children's version by the youth group ''Kieferer Wichtl''
|-
| 2019 || ''Wendelin von Höllenstein'' || Josef Georg Schmalz || Directed by Philipp Kurz
|-
| 2021 || ''Passio'' || || Village play with five other local associations, spa park
|-
| 2022 || ''Floribella – Herzogin von Burgund'' || Josef Georg Schmalz ||
|-
| 2023 || ''Mangolf von Rottenburg'' || ||
|-
| 2023 || ''Zeitenwende oder: Wie die Geburt Christi die Welt veränderte'' || || Christmas play, two performances during the Kiefersfelden Advent
|-
| 2024 || ''Almansor und Elvira'' || Josef Georg Schmalz || <ref name="dewiki" />
|-
| 2025 || ''Ulrika oder Die Entscheidung um Mitternacht'' || Josef Georg Schmalz || Directed by Philipp Kurz; premiere 26 July 2025<ref name="snn2025" />
|-
| 2026 || ''Ubald von Sternenburg oder Der Rächer am Totensarg'' || || Premiere 1 August 2026<ref name="home" />
|}

== Venue ==
The company plays in its own theatre house on the slope of the Buchberg, known locally as the ''Comedihütte''. The building of 1833 reused the Baroque revolving-wing stage and the auditorium fittings of its predecessor. The auditorium and the stage house were rebuilt from 1966 and completed in 1971, largely by the members themselves and without interrupting the August seasons.<ref name="haus" /> The auditorium has about 500 seats.<ref name="brauchwiki" /> The wing stage of the 18th–19th-century rural type, with hand-moved scenery, is operated by stagehands without machinery; its main curtain, painted by Wilhelm Meisel in 1914, and parts of the stage are listed as monuments.<ref name="haus" /><ref name="dewiki" /> The theatre house was air-conditioned in 2023.<ref name="chronik" />

== Organisation ==
The Musikkapelle Kiefersfelden plays the incidental music for the performances.<ref name="brauchwiki" /> The actors are not named on playbills, a practice the company keeps so that no individual member claims a special position.<ref name="brauchwiki" /> A support association, the Förderverein der Ritterschauspiele Kiefersfelden, was founded in 2005; its first project was new seating for the theatre.<ref name="chronik" /> Each year before Palm Sunday the members set up the Holy Sepulchre that the theatre company donated to the village church in 1809.<ref name="chronik" />

== Awards ==
* 1991: ''Kulturpreis des Landkreises Rosenheim'', shared with the Theatergesellschaft Bad Endorf and the Volkstheater Flintsbach.<ref name="lrakp" /><ref name="chronik" />
* 2011: Kulturpreis of the Wirtschaftlicher Verband der Stadt und des Landkreises Rosenheim.<ref name="dewiki" />
* 2022: ''Kultursonderpreis des Landkreises Rosenheim'' for the village play ''Passio'' of the Kiefersfelden associations (2021).<ref name="lraksp" /><ref name="kn2022" />

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="chronik">[https://www.ritterschauspiele-kiefersfelden.de/wie-alles-begann.html Wie alles begann], Ritterschauspiele Kiefersfelden, retrieved 27 October 2026. [https://web.archive.org/web/20261028112656/https://www.ritterschauspiele-kiefersfelden.de/wie-alles-begann.html Archived] on 28 October 2026.</ref>
<ref name="home">[https://www.ritterschauspiele-kiefersfelden.de/ Ritterschauspiele Kiefersfelden – Volkstheater seit 1618], Ritterschauspiele Kiefersfelden, retrieved 27 October 2026. [https://web.archive.org/web/20260713125520/https://www.ritterschauspiele-kiefersfelden.de/ Archived] on 13 July 2026.</ref>
<ref name="haus">[https://www.ritterschauspiele-kiefersfelden.de/theaterhaus.html Theaterhaus], Ritterschauspiele Kiefersfelden, retrieved 27 October 2026. [https://web.archive.org/web/20261028112831/https://www.ritterschauspiele-kiefersfelden.de/theaterhaus.html Archived] on 28 October 2026.</ref>
<ref name="dewiki">[https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ritterschauspiele_Kiefersfelden&oldid=262967652 Ritterschauspiele Kiefersfelden], German Wikipedia, retrieved 27 October 2026.</ref>
<ref name="brauchwiki">[https://www.brauchwiki.de/ritterschauspiele-kiefersfelden/ Ritterschauspiele Kiefersfelden], Brauchwiki, retrieved 27 October 2026. [https://web.archive.org/web/20261028112948/https://www.brauchwiki.de/ritterschauspiele-kiefersfelden/ Archived] on 28 October 2026.</ref>
<ref name="snn2025">[https://www.samerbergernachrichten.de/ritterspiele-kiefersfelden-premiere/ Ritterspiele Kiefersfelden: Premiere], Samerberger Nachrichten, 2025, retrieved 27 October 2026. [https://web.archive.org/web/20261028113031/https://samerbergernachrichten.de/ritterspiele-kiefersfelden-premiere/ Archived] on 28 October 2026.</ref>
<ref name="kn2022">[https://kiefersfelden.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/kieferer-nachrichten-dezember-2022.pdf Kultursonderpreis 2022 für Dorfspiel „Passio“], Kieferer Nachrichten, December 2022, Gemeinde Kiefersfelden, retrieved 27 October 2026.</ref>
<ref name="lrakp">[https://www.landkreis-rosenheim.de/download/3612/kulturpreis/34764/kulturpreistraeger.pdf Kulturpreisträger des Landkreises Rosenheim], Landratsamt Rosenheim, retrieved 27 October 2026. [https://web.archive.org/web/20261028113255/https://www.landkreis-rosenheim.de/download/3612/kulturpreis/34764/kulturpreistraeger.pdf Archived] on 28 October 2026.</ref>
<ref name="lraksp">[https://www.landkreis-rosenheim.de/download/3612/kulturpreis/34762/kultursonderpreistraeger.pdf Kultursonderpreisträger des Landkreises Rosenheim], Landratsamt Rosenheim, retrieved 27 October 2026. [https://web.archive.org/web/20261028113306/https://www.landkreis-rosenheim.de/download/3612/kulturpreis/34762/kultursonderpreistraeger.pdf Archived] on 28 October 2026.</ref>
</references>