Frankfurt Alte Oper — Antiquity Mixed With Beauty!

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The Frankfurt Alte Oper (Old Opera) was used to be one of Germany's most important opera houses and is now one of the most beautiful concert halls in Germany.

In 1880, the Frankfurt Alte Oper, designed by architect Richard Lucae, had been inaugurated. It was financed solely by the Frankfurt citizen who even were rather sceptical in the beginning.

However, among the honorary guests at the celebrating opening event in October 1880 was Emperor Wilhelm I. He was impressed by the new building, "I could never allow myself such a building in Berlin."

Alte Oper around 1900

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Only slight bomb damage to its façade let the Frankfurt Opera House escape the First World War. The tragic damage towards the end of Second World War, in the night of 23rd March, 1944, in which it burned-out completely, called however the Frankfurt citizen to rebuild it as soon as possible. They wanted "their" Opera House "back to life."

What followed was a call for donations. Enough money was raised to allow the building to be made safe enough to rescue it from demolition. However, the dedicated efforts to rebuild the entire Frankfurt Alte Oper were rejected by the city authorities.

Only in 1976, after partly violent discussions whether the Opera House should or should not be pulled down for a whole new building, the go-ahead for the reconstruction finally took place.

It was in December 1978 when the topping-out ceremony marked the completion of the main external reconstruction work. During the next three years, restored or preserved decorations, frescoes, medallions, reliefs, and mosaics were being reinstated inside the building.

Old Opera at night

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In August 1981, the final step in the completion work on the façade took place. Thousands of Frankfurt citizen gathered on Opernplatz (Opera Place) to watch the Pegasus statue being lowered onto the roof. A few days later, the Frankfurt Alte Oper was officially reopened -- with an opening ceremony playing Gustav Mahler's 8th Symphony.

Today, Frankfurt Alte Oper contains several huge halls, e.g. the rectangular Großer Saal (Great Hall) which provides seating for 2,500 people, or the Mozart-Saal (Mozart Hall) with 700 seats as well as some smaller halls used for conventions.

Countless classical conductors and soloists, chamber music and ensembles as well as pop, rock, jazz, cabaret and reading events took and take place in the Frankfurt Old Opera House.

Still not enough? No problem. The Frankfurt Stock Exchange provides some more famous people, as well as a lot of money. (sure). Let's go...

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