1867

Opening of Berlin’s first market hall – a huge building that quickly proves to be unprofitable.

1873

The building is converted into a 5,000 seat circus arena: In the ensuing decades, the Salamonsky, Renz and Schumann Circus delight Berliners with its acrobats and sensational acts.

1910

Max Reinhardt stages the first theater performances in the market hall that had been converted into a large arena.

1919

Reconstruction by architect Hans Poelzig into a 3,500-seats theater. Reinhardt is the principal shareholder and director until 1920. In December, Reinhardt’s “Schall und Rauch” (sound and smoke) cabaret venue opens in the former stables in the basement.

1924

Erik Charell becomes the director until 1930. He stages modern revues and brings stars like La Jana or the Comedian Harmonists to the house. To date, his revues stand for the Berlin of the “Golden Twenties”.

1933

Immediately after his last premiere on March 1 at the Deutsches Theater (Hofmannsthal’s “Das Salzburger Große Welttheater”), Max Reinhardt leaves Berlin and will never return to Nazi Germany. He died in 1943 in New York. In April, the “Große Schauspielhaus” had to close for financial reasons.

1934

On January 8, renamed by the new operator – Goebbels Reich Propaganda Ministry and the ‘German Labour Front (DAF)’ – into the “Theater of the People”. After failures with “proper art” recourse is taken to the operetta. Paul Lincke’s “Frau Luna” is making a comeback and enjoys 400 sold-out shows. In 1936, it becomes a venue for major performances hosted by the Nazi organisation “Kraft durch Freude” (“Strength through Joy”) during the Olympic Games in Berlin.

1938

Some of the building’s interior architecture is regarded as “degenerate art”, so portions are dismantled and rebuilt by Hans Poezig (in particular, the dome and stalactites in the hall).

Because of the war, the building is closed in 1944.

1945

In March bombs destroy the tower on the stage. After the ward ends, artist Marion Spadoni reopens the building in May 1945. It is now called the Palace Variety and has 3,500 seats.

International performers bring a variety of numbers to the stage – mainly acrobatics. A children’s ensemble stands on the stage for the first time.

1947

A transition to municipal ownership. Nicola Lupo becomes the artistic director. The Programs are given more dance elements and a greater revue character.

A new stage tower is built. On November 1, it is renamed to Friedrichstadt-Palast.

1954

The new general director, Gottfried Herrmann, introduces the conceptual form of today’s revue theater.

World-famous ensembles, such as Bolshoj Ballet, the Indian National Ballet and the Moscow State Circus, are doing guest performances.

1961-1963

For the first time, big “storyline revues” are presented. World stars, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Juliette Gréco and Gilbert Bécaud, are presenting their soloist programmes.

In October 1963, Wolfgang E.Struck starts as the successor of Gottfied Herrmann.

1972

The first episode of “Kessel Buntes” (“A Kettle of Color”) is broadcast for GDR television from here. The moderator team initially consisted of the “3 dialecticians”.

Das Moderatorenteam bestand anfangs aus den “3 Dialektikern”.

1980

The Old Friedrichstadt-Palast is closed because it is structurally unsound.

The final applause in the former building.

1984

On April 27, the New Friedrichstadt-Palast opens. It is the last, large grandiose building of the slowly deteriorating GDR: a show palace with state-of-the-art technical equipment and 1,895 seats.

Moderator O.F. Weidling makes “critical jokes” in front of SED state heads, so part of his moderation is cut from the TV broadscast of the opening event. He subsequently gets a stage ban.

1985/86

The old palace building is torn down.

1989

Fall of the Berlin Wall: the ensemble as well as the public are feeling insecure about the cultural and political development of the house, which results in a drop of the amount of visitors.

1993

Alexander Iljinskij becomes the new general director until 2004, and leads the house back into a more prosperous era.

1995

The theater becomes a state-owned GmbH (it is fully owned by the Berlin state government).

2001

The city of Berlin and the Friedrichstadt-Palast honor Marlene Dietrich with a show celebrating her 100th anniversary.

2004

Thomas Münstermann and Guido Herrmann become the theater’s joint head.

2005

60the anniversary of: “Children perform for children”

2007

November 1: The name “Friedrichstadt-Palast” celebrates its 60the anniversary. On the same day, Dr. Berndt Schmidt becomes the theater’s director. His vision: To bring the revue into the 21st century as great show entertainment.

2009

The new Friedrichstadt-Palast celebrates its 25th anniversary. On the same site that used to house the Palace’s old building, work is done to prepare the plot for a chic apartment complex designed by architect Philippe Starck.

Friedrichstadt-Palast sells the most tickets it has ever sold in its long history (subsequent years are better). The trend in ticket sales is now reversed.

2010

The opening of the permanent exhibition on the theater’s history and on the histroy of the Friedrichstraße theater district. Curator: Roland Welke.

2011

The building is updated: The outside areas and the foyer are made more attractive.

The theater decided to go back to using its former spelling from November 1, 1947: Friedrichstadt-Palast (in between it had been Friedrichstadtpalast). On December 2 opening of the world’s first sky lounge in a theater.