Theater Die Kleine Freiheit

Theater Die Kleine Freiheit was a theatre and cabaret institution in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Its documented origins date to January 24–25, 1951, when it presented its first program at the Atelier Theater on Elisabethstrasse. The opening program was chiefly authored by the German writer Erich Kästner and directed by Kolman. The performers were drawn largely from the former cabaret Die Schaubude, including Ursula Herking, Oliver Hassencamp and Bum Krüger. The venue belonged to Munich’s postwar cabaret and theatre culture, a field in which literary writing, political and social commentary, performance, and live entertainment overlapped. Its early association with Kästner and established Schaubude performers gave it a recognizable cultural profile from the beginning. The available reference material identifies it as a theatre rather than a commercial product brand, and its principal offering was live theatre and cabaret programming. The institution was located in Munich’s Maxvorstadt district, in Upper Bavaria. Specific details about its later management, ownership, program repertoire, financial structure, and relocation history are not established in the supplied sources. The theatre ultimately closed in November 1996, making it a defunct cultural venue. Its historical significance rests primarily on its role in Munich’s postwar stage and cabaret scene and on the participation of prominent German writers and performers in its early program.

Theater Die Kleine Freiheit was a Munich theatre and cabaret venue whose documented history begins in the early postwar period. Its first program was staged on January 24–25, 1951, at the Atelier Theater on Elisabethstrasse. The production was principally written by Erich Kästner, one of Germany’s best-known writers, and directed by a figure identified in the available historical account as Kolman. The cast consisted mainly of former employees and performers from Die Schaubude, another Munich cabaret institution. Among those associated with the opening program were Ursula Herking, Oliver Hassencamp and Bum Krüger. This origin placed Die Kleine Freiheit within the revival and continuation of German cabaret culture after the Second World War. The format combined scripted writing, direction, acting, and live stage presentation rather than operating as a conventional drama theatre alone. Kästner’s involvement also linked the venue’s early identity to literary authorship and topical performance. The supplied sources do not provide a complete chronology of productions, changes in management, or the venue’s full relationship with Munich’s broader theatre network, so those aspects remain undocumented here. The theatre was associated with Munich’s Maxvorstadt district in Upper Bavaria. Its principal activity was the presentation of live theatre and cabaret programs for audiences in Munich and, more broadly, Germany. No reliable information is provided about a separate parent organization, corporate owner, ticketing operation, touring arm, or commercial product portfolio. The institution should therefore be understood primarily as a cultural venue and performing-arts brand rather than as a consumer-goods company. Theater Die Kleine Freiheit remained active for several decades after its 1951 beginning. The available reference material records that it closed in November 1996. No source supplied for this dossier explains the reasons for the closure, identifies the final director or owner, or documents a successor organization. Its historical record is consequently strongest for its founding program and its eventual closure. The theatre is remembered as a Munich cabaret and stage institution connected to notable postwar writers and performers, especially through the Kästner-authored opening program and the participation of artists from Die Schaubude.

• 1996

  Closure

  [1]Theater Die Kleine Freiheiten.wikipedia.org

  The theatre closed in November 1996.

• 1951

  First program presented

  [1]Theater Die Kleine Freiheiten.wikipedia.org

  Theater Die Kleine Freiheit presented its first program at the Atelier Theater on Elisabethstrasse on January 24–25. Erich Kästner was the principal author, Kolman directed, and performers formerly associated with Die Schaubude formed much of the cast.

A Munich theatre and cabaret venue centered on live performance, literary authorship, and postwar German stage entertainment.

• Performing arts · 1951

  Theatre and cabaret programs

  The venue’s core offering was live stage entertainment combining theatre and cabaret. Its opening program demonstrated a model built around authored scripts, direction, and professional performers, with literary and performance elements presented directly to a Munich audience.

1. 1Theater Die Kleine Freiheiten.wikipedia.org