Rezumat al tezei de doctorat Istoria teatrului german din Sibiu

1. Argument
n ciuda unor remarcabile contribuii la istoria teatrului german din Sibiu, nu
exist nc o istorie complet sau care mcar s aib ambiia de a reuni ntreg materialul
existent despre teatrul sibian ntr-o lucrare unitar i coerent din punct de vedere stilistic
i al abordrii. Iat deci, incumbate, motivaia i necesitatea demersului nostru.
Prin aceast lucrare ne propunem o viziune sintetic asupra istoriei teatrului din
Sibiu sub toate aspectele sale (istoriografie, spectacologie, dramaturgie etc.) dintr-o
perspectiv interdisciplinar, care mbin metodele istoricului culturii cu cele ale
sociologului i, dei ntr-o mai mic msur, chiar ale politologului. Prin sintagma
istoria teatrului german din Sibiu am neles fenomenul caracterizat de ansamblul
valorilor, instituiilor i produselor spirituale i artistice prin intermediul crora s-a
conservat i perpetuat, pe parcursul unei istorii mai vaste de 800 de ani, cultura, n spe
cea teatral, i specificul acestei etnii cu precdere n legtur direct sau indirect cu
oraul Sibiu. n sens foarte strict, teatrul german din Sibiu are legtur cu istoria cultural
a sailor care au trit pe meleagurile acestea, ns nelegem acest termen n sens mai larg,
cultura, prin graniele ei fluide de accepiune a termenului, nepermindu-ne ea nsi o
abordare reducionist. Astfel, teatrul n limba latin, care a avut loc la Sibiu pn n
secolul al XVIII-lea, avnd cvasiexclusivitate la un moment dat n ptura cult german
din Transilvania, l-am circumscris aceleiai teme, de asemenea nu am putut s nu
integrm, slujindu-ne de metoda comparatist, ntr-un context transilvnean i chiar
european dezvoltarea teatrului german din Sibiu, mai ales c extrem de muli dintre cei
care au contribuit la propirea teatrului german din acest ora, nici mcar nu au fost
sibieni, ci s-au nscris ntr-un larg i extrem de complex fenomen de dezvoltare cultural
paneuropean, acela al teatrului german.
Cel mai nsemnat neajuns n cercetarea ntreprins a fost absena, uneori acut i
inexplicabil, a textelor de teatru, chiar i n cazul materialului dedicat secolului al XXlea, foarte multe dintre piese nu s-au pstrat din varii motive (s-au pierdut n incendii, nu
s-au publicat, au fost pstrate pe suport de slab calitate i au devenit ilizibile cu timpul
1

etc.). Dei motivul invocat este ct se poate de obiectiv, dependena de literatur i istorie
secundar, n absena celei primare, a devenit astfel determinant, fapt de-a dreptul
frustrant pe alocuri. Am fost deci nevoii de mprejurri s apelm la o metod deductiv
i reproductiv, dei tim c obiectivitatea unui astfel de tip de demers este oricnd
atacabil. Ne-am asumat acest risc ntruct materialul, incomplet, cu multe necunoscute i
ntrebri crora probabil c nu li se va rspunde niciodat, este totui extrem de interesant
i merit a fi pus n valoare chiar i ntr-o form pe alocuri speculativ.
Lucrarea de fa i propune aadar studierea coerent i etapizat a istoriei
teatrului german din Sibiu, de la originile sale, din perioada umanist de teatru amator
practicat n gimnaziile reformate ale secolelor al XVI-lea i al XVII-lea, pn n zilele
noastre, n care teatrul german a fost, nendoios, component important a micrii
teatrale romneti n contextul Sibiu, Capital Cultural European 2007. Nu am
aprofundat ns perioada de dup anul 1989, ntruct distana n timp fa de evenimente
nu este suficient de mare, riscul prea ridicat de impietare asupra obiectivitii cercetrii
obligndu-ne la aceast, credem noi, necesar autolimitare.
Necesitatea unui astfel de studiu este evident n contextul absenei unei lucrri n
cultura romn, care s abordeze exhaustiv istoria teatrului de limb german din sudestul Europei, dup cum nu exist nici o lucrare monografic destinat istoriei teatrului
sibian, modesta noastr ntreprindere reprezentnd doar o mic parte a unei att de
necesare istorii a teatrului de expresie german din Transilvania, Banat i Bucovina.
Demersul nostru este cu att mai necesar n perceperea ct mai just a realitii culturale a
acestui spaiu multietnic, multilingv i multicultural cu ct, cel puin n perioada secolelor
al XVIII-lea i al XIX-lea, teatrul german din Transilvania i Banat beneficia de o
infrastructur, un grad de interes al publicului i un mod de manifestare artistic net
superioare teatrului romnesc i maghiar bunoar, care circumscriu - astzi, ca i atunci
- aproximativ acelai areal cultural, dar care, actualmente, tinde s domine acest areal,
justificndu-i preteniile de dominare prin ocultarea i izolarea intenionat sau nu a
istoriei culturale germane.
Credem c, n contextul mileniului al treilea, cu deschiderea sa ctre toleran i
diversitate cultural, tipul acesta de abordare exclusivist i-a dovedit cu prisosin att
desuetudinea, ct i ineficacitatea, iar prezena teatrului de expresie german n spaiul

cultural autohton este justificabil att prin capacitatea sa de acordare la realitile

prezentului a modului su de manifestare, ct i prin studierea aplicat a trecutului su,
aprofundarea cauzelor i a mprejurrilor n care acesta s-a nscut, dezvoltat i
transformat, odat cu trecerea timpului.
Necesitatea unui astfel de demers n limba romn este, credem noi, util i
binevenit, ntruct teatrul de expresie german din Transilvania trebuie privit nu ca fiind
o manifestare cultural minoritar, de ni, ci ca fcnd parte fireasc i important din
istoria teatrului romnesc. Faptul c istoria teatrului german din spaiul romnesc a fost
scris pn acum aproape exclusiv n limba german, lucru firesc dealtfel, datorit
circumstanelor istorice pe care nu este cazul s mai le aprofundm, a cauzat, din
nefericire, ignorarea nejustificat, cu rare excepii, a acestui nsemnat filon de cultur i
spiritualitate autohton de ctre istoricii teatrali din Romnia, fapt totui impardonabil n
contextul n care peste mai puin de un deceniu se mplinesc 100 de ani de la unirea
Transilvaniei i Banatului cu Romnia.
Deasemenea, motivaia subiectiv a acestui demers este determinat i de situaia
dificil n care se afl actualmente teatrul german din Sibiu dup anul 1989, n contextul
cvasiabsenei publicului german. Motivaia perpeturii existenei acestui teatru credem c
trebuie fundamentat pe o acribic i onest cunoatere a trecutului su cultural,
proieciile de dezvoltare viitoare neputnd ignora, chiar i prin raportare negativ dac e
cazul, un foarte ndelungat i extrem de complex trecut cultural.

2. nceputurile teatrului n Transilvania. Epoca medieval

Cercettorii istoriei teatrului medieval european se plng, pe bun dreptate, de
puintatea informaiilor privitoare la apariia i dezvoltarea acestui fenomen cultural.
Perioada de nceput a evului mediu, de prin secolul al V-lea ncoace, cu ntregul ei
cortegiu de frmntri politice i sociale, cu formarea popoarelor i a culturilor europene
sub semnul creterii rolului bisericii pn la situaia de instituie dominant pe plan moral
i administrativ-politic, cu manifestrile de autoritarism clerical, de intoleran i
obscurantism, nu a fost deloc prielnic dezvoltrii artei dramatice, czute n ntuneric

dup nflorirea pe care o cunoscuse n antichitatea greco-roman. Cu att mai puin ea sar fi putut manifesta n spaiul actual romnesc, n Transilvania, zon care traversa
zbuciumata epoc a migraiei popoarelor ademenite de mirajul bogiilor existente sau
presupuse ale Apusului.
Primele manifestri care pot fi considerate teatrale au un caracter religios, fiind
strns legate de aciunea predicaiei cretine n biserici i mnstiri. Este vorba despre
dramele liturgice, parte integrant sau anex a serviciului religios, povestind miracolele i
misterele dramatice, din ciclul Naterii, al nvierii sau al vieii sfinilor, drame prezente n
ntreaga Europ apusean pn prin secolul al XVI-lea i regsite sporadic i n lumea
transilvnean, unde ajunseser fie n zestrea noii populaii, fie ca mprumuturi ptrunse
pe diverse filiere din spaiile occidentale. nainte de orice, se cere precizat faptul c, prin
ritualul liturgic statornicit n baza canoanelor, cretinismul nsui oferea elemente de
teatralitate.
Nu doar n ritualul liturgic gsim elemente de teatru sau de spectacol, ci i n
produciile folclorice ale populaiilor din Transilvania. Aceste mici spectacole erau legate
de obiceiurile tradiionale, unele cu rdcini adnci n miturile perpetuate de-a lungul
secolelor, n ritualuri magice legate de natere i moarte, de botez sau de cstorie, de
srbtorile ciclului agrar ori de srbtorile Crciunului sau ale Anului Nou. ntre aceste
producii folclorice create de populaia romneasc btina n Transilvania, cercettorii
culturii de acest gen amintesc obiceiurile tradiionale legate de muncile agricole i de
srbtorile de peste an, obiceiurile de botez, de nunt i de priveghi. ntre obiceiurile
tradiionale, cele ale srbtorilor de iarn ocup un loc deosebit, fapt care, treptat, a dus la
o accentuare a spectaculosului. Obiceiurile din ciclul primverii i al verii, avnd i ele
punctul de pornire n anumite practici mistice, sunt reflexe trzii ale strvechilor serbri
nchinate zeilor antichitii.
n esen, observaiile privitoare la elementele de teatralitate din obiceiurile
tradiional-folclorice ale populaiei romneti din Transilvania sunt valabile i pentru
obiceiurile celorlalte etnii pe care cursul istoriei le-a aezat pe aceste meleaguri, fiecare
cu elementele specifice de mitologie i de evoluie n timp. Cercettorii istoriei timpurii a

teatrului german din Transilvania, Eugen Filtsch1 sau Harald Krasser2 de pild, sunt de
acord c nceputurile lui sunt legate de reprezentaiile religioase i de teatrul popular.
Fenomenul este similar celor petrecute n vestul Europei, doar c se petrece mai trziu i
dureaz mai mult, corespunztor evoluiei pe plan economic, social i politic a
Transilvaniei, n condiiile specifice de dezvoltare din aceast zon geografic. Din
ritualul liturgic al bisericii medievale, scrie Eugen Filtsch, s-au desprins i au evoluat
dramele religioase, apoi misterele, ample spectacole pompoase i de mare efect.
Pornind de la realitatea unui timp prea puin luminat de mrturii scrise, cum se
exprima Harald Krasser3, Eugen Filtsch afirm: Cu siguran c nici n slujbele inute n
bisericile sailor transilvneni nu au lipsit niciodat reprezentaiile liturgice, chiar dac
pompa, fastul propriu domurilor din Germania nu se putea manifesta aici cu aceeai
amploare. i chiar dac mrturiile scrise ale nceputurilor lipsesc, urmele unor astfel de
reprezentaii liturgice mai pot fi ntlnite i azi n uzul bisericesc al comunitilor din
Transilvania4. Cercettorul aduce ca exemple aa-numita Dicta, o poveste a patimilor
lui Iisus, prezentat antifonic n Sptmna Mare, apoi scenetele de la slujba din noaptea
de Crciun i cntecul de stea de la Boboteaz i adaug scenele din viaa sfinilor care se
mai prezentau n secolul al XVIII-lea la Cincu-Mare. Exist n tradiia comunitilor
rurale sseti i alte obiceiuri populare care conin un smbure dramatic. Eugen Filtsch
apreciaz c obiceiul scoaterii mortului practicat la Bruiu, reminiscen a miturilor
germanice, are ca tem lupta dintre primvar i iarn.
Istoria literar a neglijat destul de mult dou piese populare cu caracter dramatic,
descoperite n secolul al XIX-lea, dar care, tematic i stilistic, au mai degrab de-a face
cu secolul al XVII-lea. Una este o comedie, cealalt are ca tem moartea unui om nstrit.
Comedia este cunoscut sub numele de Rsschentanz - Dansul trandafiraului, iar
cealalt, o variant autohton a celebrului everyman britanic, drept KnigsliedCntecul regelui.

Eugen Filtsch, Geschichte des deutschen Theaters in Siebenbrgen., n: Archiv des Vereins fr
siebenbrgische Landeskunde, vol. 21, (1887/1888) pp. 515-529
2
Harald Krasser, Zur Frhgeschichte des deutschen Theaters in Siebenbrgen, n: Neue Literatur, nr. 16
(1965), caietul 5, pp. 119-126
3
Ibid., p. 119
4
Filtsch, op. cit., p. 117

Ceteanul este cel care se manifest n obiceiurile breslailor din oraele i

trgurile medievale ale Transilvaniei, obiceiuri cu rdcini strvechi, pstrate de-a lungul
secolelor, ca rspuns la nevoia lor de reprezentare i de manifestri festive 5. Forme
incipiente de teatralitate se regsesc n dansul paloului rezervat breslei cojocarilor. n
Transilvania era inclus n ceremonialul festiv organizat la instalarea unui nou comite al
sailor, ajungnd ca n secolul al XVIII-lea s fie considerat aproape un dans naional 6.
Privilegiul de a-l interpreta fusese acordat breslei cojocarilor, ca rsplat pentru meritul
legendar de a-l fi salvat pe comite din ncercuire, n timpul unei btlii cu turcii care a
avut loc la Tlmaciu. Ca n multe spectacole medievale, eroicul era dublat de comic,
dansul paloului fiind urmat de burlescul dans al cluului, interpretat de membrii
breslei croitorilor. Un al treilea dans legat de meteugari este dansul cu cercul, pstrat
n obiceiul lolelor din Agnita. Executat iniial de dogari, apoi de pantofari, el s-a pstrat
ca o demonstraie acrobatico-echilibristic, care dateaz se pare din perioada de nceput a
invaziilor otomane din a doua jumtate a secolulului al XV-lea, ns rdcinile lui se afl
n strvechi rituri de primvar.
Aceste jocuri dramatice cu forme arhaice de dialog, datnd dintr-o epoc
medieval trzie, compilaii ale unor strvechi tradiii, piese populare transmise pe cale
oral, cizelate de-a lungul a numeroase generaii, sunt dovezi ale nceputurilor teatrului
desprins din ritualul cretin i pgn, ptruns din spaiul bisericesc n cel public, al
pieelor oreneti i adoptat de mulime. Cel care susine o astfel de evoluie nu este
mimul sau joculatorul care, precedndu-l la un nivel inferior pe actorul profesionist, se
produce n piee sau la curile princiare cu glume burleti, ci clericul, ceteanul i, n
ultim instan, elevul.
n secolul al XVI-lea comunitile oreneti erau capabile s organizeze
spectacole de mare amploare, copleitoare prin fast i prin desfurarea de fore. Unul
dintre ele (primul consemnat n Cronica oraului Sibiu de Emil Sigerus) s-a desfurat
la 15 februarie 1582 n Piaa Mare din Sibiu. Derularea lui ne duce cu gndul la misterele
din oraele germane spune Filtsch la italienetile triomfi din oraelestate ale

Karl Kurt Klein, Shakespeare in Siebenbrgen, n: Siebenbrgische Vierteljahrsschrift, 1938, anul al

61-lea de apariie, pp. 233-238
6
Krasser, op. cit., p. 104

Renaterii italiene, scrie Krasser, ambii prelund informaiile despre eveniment din surse
mai vechi, precum lucrarea lui Gustav Seivert din 18597.
Inspirat din evenimente istorice reale, ncheierea pcii ntre Polonia i Rusia, dup
un ndelungat rzboi ntre armatele lui Stefan Bthori, rege al Poloniei i principe al
Transilvaniei i cele ale lui Ivan al IV-lea (cel Groaznic), spectacolul a fost organizat din
iniiativa lui Albert Huet, pe atunci comite al sailor. Dup o slujb de mulumire, dup
jocuri cavalereti, salve de tun i muzic festiv, s-a desfurat un spectacol de teatru
pentru care senatul oraului a pus la dispoziie recuzita veminte, podoabe, sceptre
.a.m.d. Scena ntreag Piaa Mare din centrul oraului. Actori tineri locuitori ai
oraului, elevi i studeni, n totalitate, cteva sute. Public ntreaga populaie a Sibiului.

3.0. Teatrul transilvnean n Renatere i Baroc

Tot de istoria timpurie a teatrului in i manifestrile de curte i de ceremonial,
toate acele spectacole legate de evenimentele importante de la curtea princiar, de la
reedinele nobililor, din comunitile burgurilor sseti, ceremoniile protocolare,
impresionante prin fast, prin costumaia bogat i viu colorat, regizate i coordonate n
aa fel nct s aib n vedere efectul ntregului i contribuia fiecrui element, de la
dispunerea persoanelor i a grupurilor, la decoraia special a locului de desfurare, la
efectele vizuale i la cele sonore, la includerea n program a unor ntreceri cavalerescsportive i a unor momente de divertisment cu mscrici, cu jongleri, actori de
pantomim sau cntrei ambulani, cu jocuri de carnaval i aa-numitele statui vii.
Acest teatralitate este specific mai ales epocii baroce, cu a sa aplecare spre spectacular
i spectaculos, spre flamboaiant, cu o apenten puternic pentru antitez, pentru
contraste puternice i dramatism, uneori exacerbat.
Reprezentarea i afiarea oficial a puterii fcea parte din uzana pturii sociale
dominante n secolele al XVI-lea i al XVII-lea. Transilvania nu fcea excepie n acest
sens fa de celelalte puteri europene. Unul dintre momentele cele mai exploatate n acest

Gustav Seivert, Die Stadt Hermannstadt, Hermannstadt, Steinhausen, 1859

sens erau nunile de la cuile principilor. Astfel de manifestri teatrale erau proprii,
firete, i patriciatului ssesc din Transilvania.
Toi cercettorii fenomenului sunt de acord c la o instituionalizare a teatrului
colar n Transilvania, mai ales n mediul german, s-a ajuns dup apariia vestitei
Constitutio Scholae Coronensis, regulamentul colar elaborat la 1543 (retiprit la 1657,
cu adugiri) de Johannes Honterus i aprobat de Magistratul braovean, regulament
potrivit cruia coala lui Honterus se prezenta ca un organism autonom care pregtea
elevii pentru integrarea lor dup absolvire n viaa public 8. Prevederile Constituiei
colare a lui Honterus cuprindeau obligaia colii de a organiza manifestri culturale al
cror rezultat imediat a fost apropierea ntre aceast instituie i populaia oraului. ntre
aceste manifestri figura i organizarea, de dou ori pe an, a unor spectacole cu
participarea tuturor elevilor colii, care s includ reprezentaii dramatice i la care s
asiste obligatoriu Sfatul oraului. Era un prilej ca elevii s exerseze exprimarea n limba
latin, dar trebuia s fie, n acelai timp, un mod de promovare a unei purtri degajate n
lume.
Acest program ndrzne pentru acele timpuri, iniiat n Transilvania la mai mult
de o jumtate de secol dup apariia dramelor colare n Germania, a fost pstrat n
gimnaziile sseti pn la nceputul secolului al XVIII-lea, cnd, pe de o parte, ncepe s
fie concurat de piesele de teatru ale iezuiilor, iar pe de alt parte, este subminat chiar din
interiorul bisericii lutherane, fiind pus n dificultate de spiritul pietist care ncepuse s se
fac tot mai simit n Transilvania acelei vremi. Krasser depisteaz ntre lucrrile
prezentate la Braov piese ale teatrului elisabetan, ajunse aici prin filier german
(Annabella i regele din Ferrara, dup Parasitaster of the Fawn a lui John Marstons,
jucat n 1617 i Titus Andronicus, 1677, prima dram shakespearian jucat n
Romnia) precum i drame care se jucau n Silezia sau n Austria, concluzionnd c
teatrul colar care i depise cu mult premisele, a deschis, prin texte i prin
interpretare, calea pasiunilor dezlnuite, tragediei baroce9.
Nu toate piesele prezentate de colari erau preluri sau adaptri ale unor lucrri
apusene. ntr-o lucrare a timpului este amintit spectacolul prezentat de elevii dr.
8

Gernot Nussbcher, Johannes Honterus, Viaa i opera sa n imagini, trad. de Mircea Cornescu, ed.
Kriterion, Bucureti, 1977, p. 27
9
Krasser, op. cit., p. 125

Pankratius, rector la Sibiu i viitor superintendent, n marea sal a primriei, cu ocazia

nunii fiului lui Andreas Fleischer, comitele sailor, cu Agnetha Werder10. Piesa, scris
de Pankratius nsui, pe o tem aleas de nsui socrul mare, prezenta cstoria primei
perechi de oameni, Adam i Eva. Lucrarea nu s-a pstrat, dar se tie c piesa, alegoric i
polemic, a dat natere primului scandal teatral cunoscut la Sibiu 11, ntruct a strnit
nemulumirea multor invitai de seam, sala fiind prsit, rnd pe rnd, de nobilii unguri
unitarieni, de calvini apoi de catolici, nct pn la sfrit n sal n-au mai rmas dect
spectatorii evanghelici.
Teatrul iezuit, cunoscut i sub numele generic de dram iezuit, reprezint
drama catolic de limb latin care era cultivat mai ales n colile iezuite ale secolului al
XVI-lea i al XVII-lea. Pe lng scopul educativ, care era primordial, prin piesele lor de
teatru iezuiii urmreau i transmiterea unor mesaje de natur moral, n ton cu cerinele
epocii, contribuind astfel la rspndirea propriilor idei politico-religioase. Pe aceast linie
se nscriu i spectacolele prezentate de ctre reprezentanii cultului oficial al noilor
stpnitori catolici, dup trecerea Transilvaniei sub suzeranitate austriac. nfiinate n
Transilvania ntr-un amplu proiect al contrareformei, colile iezuite revin n for i
renvie prin spectacolele prezentate de elevii lor (n genere fii de nobili maghiari, dar i
sai rentori la catolicism12), misterele medievale aprute iniial n Germania celei de-a
doua jumti a secolului al XVI-lea. Regizorii acestora nu ezit s foloseasc toate
artificiile teatrului profan decoruri, costume, instalaii, balet, muzic, nscennd
spectacole gndite pentru plcerea ochilor i gdilatul simurilor 13. Reprezentaiile erau
extrem de ncrcate, abundau n efecte muzicale, momente de balet, erau jucate de sute de
actori i statiti. Spectatorii erau bombardai cu efecte pirotehnice, cu scenografii uriae
i bogate, cu explozii, cu iscusite efecte de tunete i fulgere, cu balauri care scuipau foc,
cu ngeri zburtori, cu personaje nghiite spectaculos de focurile iadului. Adesea n
timpul reprezentaiei erau implicai direct i spectatorii, astfel c acetia luau parte
10

Emil Sigerus, Vom alten Hermannstadt, Nachdruck der Ausgabe Hermannstadt, 1922, Johannis ReegVerlag, Heilbronn, 2003
11
Harald Krasser, Die Schulbhne, n: Hermannstdter Zeitung, 15.10.1971, p. 6
12
Se tie c rentoarcerea la catolicism a sailor nu a fost un fenomen de mas, aa cum i-ar fi dorit
autoritile habsburgice, care ncurajau obinerea unor drepturi din partea sailor prin adoptarea
catolicismului de ctre acetia. Nobilimea i nalta burghezie au fost cele care au recurs cel mai adesea la
aceast metod, firete, pentru obinerea de avantaje economice i politice.
13
Filtsch, op. cit., p. 134

nemijlocit la desfurarea spectacolului, aspectul emoional al privitorului fiind stimulat

la maximum de un spectacol cu pronunat caracter interactiv. Reprezentaiile erau uneori
att de nucitoare i de puternice emoional, nct sunt atestate reveniri pe loc la
adevrata credin - cea catolic - a unora dintre spectatori. Se poate deduce deci, c
iluzionismul emoional al teatrului, tipul de propagand extrem de agresiv practicat de
ctre iezuii prin intermediul teatrului lor axat puternic pe componenta vizual, a
funcionat, cel puin n anumite cazuri, mai eficient dect argumentele. De aceea putem
afirma ritos c tipul acesta de teatralitate propagandistic a fost dac nu inventat de
iezuii, cel puin folosit cu consecven pe scar larg i, ntr-un arc peste secole, a fost
foarte atent speculat i dezvoltat pe alte coordonate i de regimurile totalitare din secolul
al XX-lea european. Chiar i n zilele noastre acest tip de teatralitate ofensiv, aproape
eminamente vizual, este adesea utilizat de mass-media i industria de publicitate i
divertisment.
Dup ce este trecut n revist activitatea teatral a ordinului iezuit n
Transilvania, n tez este analizat n premier absolut, amnunit, o colecie de piese
iezuite despre care se presupune c au fost jucate la Sibiu n prima jumtate a secolului al
XVIII-lea, colecie adpostit actualmente la Biblioteca Batthyaneum din Alba-Iulia
sub numele Dramata varia saeculi decimi octavi i care cuprinde 9 piese-coligat.

4.0. Teatrul german din Sibiu n Epoca Luminilor

Dup cum s-a spus pe bun dreptate, secolul al XVIII-lea este o perioad a
luminrii; nu o vreme n care oamenii erau luminai, ci n care cei mai naintai dintre ei
se strduiau asiduu s-i lumineze contemporanii. Marea for de influenare proprie
cuvntului, att celui scris, ct i celui vorbit, odat constatat, a fost pus n slujba
propagrii doctrinei absolutismului luminat, a educrii supuilor n scopul dorit de
monarhie. Alturi de coal, biseric i tipar, teatrul este considerat a fi un instrument util
n acest demers. Este, deci, firesc ca potenialul lui educativ s fi fost curnd intuit i
exploatat, n funcie de rolul atribuit lui de societate ntr-un anumit moment istoric.
Teatrul trebuia ca atare s fie un mijloc de educare a poporului, de care era cu att mai

10

mare nevoie cu ct se potrivea excelent cu sistemul noii nelepciuni a pedagogiei de stat,

care avea n vedere pstrarea vie a unui anumit idealism, a spiritului patriotic, a credinei
fa de tron, a entuziasmului pentru dinastie. Contientizarea forei cuvntului scris a avut
ns i o conotaie negativ: autritile recunosc i influena nedorit pe care cuvntul o
poate avea i, n consecin, instituie msuri, uneori draconice, de cenzur. O situaie
diferit este cea a cuvntului vorbit, n spe a teatrului.
Cercettorii istoriei teatrului german din Transilvania au subliniat faptul c
dezvoltarea artei spectacolului dramatic n aceast provincie a stat sub semnul
influenelor din spaiul cultural germanic, influene amplificate dup intrarea
Transilvaniei n componena Imperiului Habsburgic. Dup 1692, cnd Sibiul devine
capitala Principatului i ora de reedin a guvernatorului i a altor instituii centrale,
penetrarea ideilor i a culturii germane susinute de Curtea de la Viena devine o
constant. Acest fenomen se amplific n timp, ca politic de stat, ca mijloc de atenuare a
rezistenei strvechilor structuri comunitare ale populaiei sseti n faa tendinelor
centraliste i autoritariste ale imperiului austriac. Teatrul german din Transilvania nu este
aadar un fenomen local, secretat spontan din spiritualitatea populaiei autohtone, ci este
unul de import, un soi de interfa de negociere a puterii ntre fora suzeran i cea
ocupat.
Fenomenul este lesne de observat i n evoluia teatrului sibian. Trecerea de la
formele de spectacol improvizat la spectacolele susinute de trupe ambulante
profesioniste se produce mai ales n cea de-a doua jumtate a secolului al XVIII-lea.
Primite cu rezerve de ctre muli dintre orenii Sibiului (ca dealtfel i de ctre cei ai
Braovului sau Timioarei), puternic influenai de spiritul pietist al timpului,
obstrucionate uneori de reprezentanii autoritilor locale, spectacolele au fost sprijinite
de oficialitile imperiale14. Trebuie spus c, n fapt, sprijinul acestor instituii era cu att
mai consistent, cu ct angajaii lor constituiau n bun parte publicul care asigura
supravieuirea artitilor: funcionarii imperiali militari i civili, angajaii instituiilor
administrative i financiare, ofierii garnizoanei, cu toii educai n mediul cultural din

14

Un exemplu elocvent este cel al trupei actriei Gertraut Bodenburg, silit n 1762 s apeleze la contele
Kemny, guvernatorul Transilvaniei, apoi, prin 1766, la generalul-comandant, contele Andreas Hadik,
pentru a i se aproba nite spaii n care s-i poat prezenta spectacolele.

11

capitala imperiului i care impuneau i la Sibiu gusturile i standardele artistice cu care

erau obinuii.
Teatrul, n formele sale cele mai diverse n funcie de epoc, ca mister medieval,
ca teatru ocazional la curile nobiliare ori ca dram iezuit, a existat la Sibiu, cel mai
trziu, nc din Renatere. Actorul profesionist, dedicat exclusiv acestei meserii a nceput
s apar ns abia pe la mijlocul secolului al XVIII-lea n oferta trupelor ambulante care,
n peregrinrile lor pe tot cuprinsul Europei, ajungeau i la Sibiu. Dac iniial el lua cu
precdere forma lui Hanswurst corespondentul german al lui Arlecchino n curnd,
mai ales n spaiul teatral german, cum era i cazul Sibiului la vremea respectiv, s-a
nscut o micare de gonire a acestuia din urm de pe scen15.
Sunt analizate amnunit contribuiile unor personaliti remarcabile ale celei de-a
doua pri a secolului al XVIII-lea pentru teatrul sibian, precum cea a lui Gertraut
Bodenburg, Josef Hlverding i Christoph Ludwig Seipp. De asemenea este dezbtut pe
larg personalitatea lui Martin Hochmeister, cel care a editat la 1778 primul sptmnal
teatral din sud-estul Europei, ale crui articole de fond sunt analizate n detaliu n lucrarea
de fa, dup cum, n 1788, tot el construiete prima cldire de teatru din spaiul actual al
Romniei, oferind astfel premisa material ca de atunci nainte sibienii s se bucure de
avantajele indubitabile ale unor stagiuni permanente de teatru.
Editorul sptmnalului Theatral Wochenblatt, Martin Hochmeister, e un model
de crturar iluminist. Apariia primelor periodice n Transilvania se leag de numele
aceluiai om, care se dovedete a fi nu doar tipograf de succes, ci i animator cultural,
om ntreprinzator, dotat cu un deosebit sim al afacerilor, bun cunosctor al spiritului
vremii, cruia tie s i se adapteze cu folos.16 Hochmeister conduce zeci de ani o
tiparni care i aparine, scoate de sub teascuri o mulime de cri, dintre care destule
chiar i romneti ca de pild Ahilefs la Skiro, fapta lui Kir Metastazie kesaricescului
poetic, tlmcit de pe grecie de ctre dumnealui Iordache Sltineanu, Vel Pharnic n
Bucuretii rii Rumuneti, prima editare n limba romn a unui text dramatic (1797),
15

Gottsched chiar a scris o pies n care Hanswurst era gonit la propriu de pe scen, dup ce, n prealabil,
fusese puternic batjocorit. Acest lucru a fost ncurajat de ntlnirea filosofului i literatului german cu
Caroline Neuber, cea care a pornit o cruciad mpotriva teatrului facil, de blci, plednd pentru o
dramaturgie serioas, coerent, care utilizeaz o limb aleas. Ea, mpreun cu Lessing, care a fost pentru
un timp membru activ al trupei ei de teatru, au pus bazele practice i teoretice ale teatrului naional german.
16
Popa, Liliana, Oameni i cri n Sibiul de altdat. Tipografi i tiparmie, bibliofili i biblioteci, librari
i librrii n mrturii documentare, ed. Schiller, Sibiu/Bonn, 2010, p. 71.

12

deschide n anul 1778 prima mare librrie din spaiul romnesc, nal n 1788 primul
teatru cu funcie permanent de pe ntinsul rii, nfiineaz primele ziare n limba
german (Siebenbrger Zeitung, 1784) i n limba maghiar din Transilvania (Az
Erdelyi Magyar Hirlap - 1790) i scoate, dei efemer, prima gazet n limba romn
Foaia romneasc pentru popor (1791).
Theatral Wochenblatt, dei a avut o via extrem de scurt (1 iunie-12 august
1778, timp n care au ieit de sub tipar nu mai puin de 12 numere), a reprezentat un plan
deosebit de ambiios al redactorilor de a educa i emancipa publicul sibian pentru un
teatru de nalt inut estetic. Revista a fost redactat de membrii ansamblului lui
Hlverding: sufleurul Lieder, actorul Scheidhauer i directorul Josef Hlverding. Revista
sibian s-a adresat publicului, vrnd s-l determine s-i expun prerile critice n
paginile revistei. Publicul nu s-a artat dispus, ceea ce a determinat editorii s renune
dup doar 12 numere la continuarea revistei. elurile redactorilor erau clare i
corespundeau timpului: se dorea un eveniment teatral de nalt inut, renunarea la
divertismente i distracii facile, abandonarea grosolniilor teatrului improvizat al
trupelor ambulante. Autorii atrgeau atenia asupra celor mai bune piese, a celor mai buni
autori dramatici germani i internaionali i cutau s cultive gustul spectatorilor. Teatrul
urma s fie o instituie de cultivare i educaie naional, un forum al ideilor, locul de
prezentare ale unei arte scenice de factur aleas. n efemera sa via, publicaia caut
motivele pentru care arta adevrat nu se poate impune, vznd drept principal cauz a
acestei situaii interesul exagerat al publicului pentru farse i nivelul su cultural sczut,
combate prejudecile despre teatru, subliniind valoarea educativ i moral a acestuia,
deplnge lipsa unei temeinice educaii profesioniste a actorilor din pricina absenei
colilor de profil i pledeaz pentru necesitatea urgent a nfiinrii lor, insist asupra
rolului criticii, care nu are menirea s jigneasc, ci doar s lupte mpotriva ideilor
preconcepute i s sprijine propirea artei dramatice.
Forma ei precis, ideile iluministe aprate cu fervoare sunt punctele de greutate
ale revistei. Deorece ea se plaseaz ns, n ultimele trei numere, pe poziiile
subiectivismului incipient, nu e de mirare, c textul narativ ia drept model scrisul lui
Laurence Sterne. Aprut ntr-o perioad de tranziie (teatrul ambulant de limb german
a ajuns n Transilvania atunci cnd n Germania i Austria fusese nlocuit de teatrele

13

comunale, profesioniste, cultivnd teatrul pornind de la texte dramatice de valoare, au

existat preri controversate), revista milita pentru teatrul natural i nscenarea pieselor
scrise de bun calitate, dar publicul sibian se pare c a fost depit de ateptri. Theatral
Wochenblatt a susinut prerogativele sistematice ale iluminismului, dar a i pit pe
drumul nceput de micarea Sturm und Drang, adic punea accent pe latura emoional
a unui subiectivism nengrdit. Importana revistei const i n faptul c este o pledoarie
pentru un repertoriu internaional (dar i naional german), pentru o cultur european
diversificat i bogat. n pofida inegalitilor i a unei foarte scurte perioade de apariie,
revista transilvnean se constituie drept un moment de seam n istoria teatrului nostru,
i, credem, chiar n istoriografia universal a acestei arte.

5.0. Evoluia teatrului german sibian ntre nfiinarea cldirii de teatru pn

la finele Primului Rzboi Mondial
Acestea erau mprejurrile n care s-a deschis teatrul din Turnul Gros, la a crui
conducere a fost adus Christoph Ludwig Seipp17. Cu trupa sa, format iniial din zece
actori, ase actrie, un sufleur, un pictor scenograf, un casier, doi controlori de bilete plus
o orchestr alctuit din treisprezece instrumentiti 18, Seipp19 a jucat n anii 1788-1790,
conform istoriei lui Bielz, 144 de piese din toate genurile, (printre care i Minna von
Barnhelm de Lessing, comediile Tartuffe i Avarul de Molire, apoi Clavigo de
Goethe, Hoii i Intrig i iubire de Schiller, Hamlet i Henric al IV-lea de
Shakespeare) i, n plus, 5 opere, 15 vodeviluri i o operet. Un repertoriu bogat, variat,

17

Seipp avea faima de a fi cel mai competent cunosctor n probleme de teatru n Sibiul acelei vremi. n:
bersicht ber die neueste Literatur (Siebenbrgische Quartalschrift, vol. I, 1790, p. 103) Daniel
Neugeboren enumer piesele de teatru puse la dispoziia sibienilor n ultima perioad, nsoindu-le de
scurte comentarii, cu meniunea: Hier theilen wir noch den Liebhabern des Theaters einen Auszug mit,
aus der uns von dem kompetentesten Richter der dramatischen Poesie, Herrn Seipp, mitgetheilten
Nachricht von den neuesten Produkten desselben Sunt enumerate un numr de 69 de piese, dintre care
despre 17 se menioneaz c au fost jucate cel puin o dat la Sibiu. Trei dintre ele au fost jucate chiar de
mai multe ori.
18
Bielz, op. cit., p. 3
19
Vezi anexa B10.

14

de o incontestabil inut valoric. n genere, reprezentaiile aveau loc n patru zile pe

sptmn, de obicei smbta, duminica, marea i joia.20
Din pcate Seipp a rmas la conducerea teatrului doar pn la sfritul anului
1790 cnd, dup un turneu la Viena, a plecat la Bucureti, invitat fiind la reedina
prinului de Coburg. Acolo, mpreun cu o mic trup din Braov, a prezentat spectacole
timp de dou luni. Au fost primele spectacole de teatru n limba german vzute la
Bucureti21. mprejurrile favorabile n care Seipp a nceput s joace la Sibiu nu au durat
mult. Situaia de rzboi survenit n Muntenia i mutarea naltei administraii
transilvnene de la Sibiu la Cluj au avut o influen negativ substanial asupra teatrului
sibian. La sfritul lui 1790 Seipp prsea definitiv Sibiul pentru Viena, unde avea s
ntemeieze un ultim teatru al su, deoarece moare n mod neateptat n 1793.
La conducerea teatrului din Sibiu, unde aveau loc doar stagiuni de var (iarna se
juca la Timioara, pentru c teatrul din Sibiu nu avea sistem de nclzire), au urmat J. Ch.
Kuntz, n 1791 i 1792, Franz Xaver Felder (1794-1796), Franz Xaver Rnner (17971801), Franz Seicher (1802-1803), Constantin Paraskovitz (1804-1806), Ludwig Bladl
(1806-1808), perioada fiind marcat de evenimente importante, cu mari influene n ceea
ce privete publicul i repertoriul. Mutarea sediului guberniului de la Sibiu la Cluj a
diminuat importana politic i cultural a Sibiului, iar teatrul pierde cea mai bun i mai
devotat parte a publicului su.22 Aadar calitatea repertoriului scade inevitabil.
n acelai timp repertoriul este influenat i de politica oficial conservatoare, prin
care Curtea de la Viena ncerca s stopeze rspndirea ideilor revoluionare, n
expansiune pe continent la acea vreme. Repertoriul teatrelor germane din Transilvania
oscileaz ntre dramaturgia clasic de valoare (Shakespeare, Lessing, Goethe, Schiller) i
mediocrele drame sentimentale confecionate de Kotzebue23, Iffland24 i contemporanii
lor austrieci, care ctigau teren n dauna teatrului clasic de bun calitate25.
n acest climat tulbure s-a desfurat activitatea teatral n Sibiul acelei vremi, cu
un repertoriu alctuit n aa fel nct s evite biciul cenzurii i s se ajung la zhrelul
20

Bielz, op. cit., p. 4

Vezi Dimiu, op. cit., p. 41
22
Istoria... I, p. 194
23
August von Kotzebue (1761 Weimar 1819 Mannheim), dramaturg i scriitor german.
24
August Wilhelm Iffland (1759 Hannover - 1814 Berlin), actor, director i dramaturg german.
25
Vezi anexa B11.
21

15

rsplii, dar i s mulumeasc publicul, care cuprindea acum din ce n ce mai mult
cercurile burgheziei locale, care avea gusturi destul de conservatoare. S recunoatem, nu
a fost o misiune uoar pentru nici unul dintre conductorii unor trupe teatrale care s-au
ncumetat s concesioneze teatrul construit de Martin Hochmeister, ncercnd s
supravieuiasc ntre constrngerile amintite, vanitile locale sau cutumele care,
nerespectate, puteau cauza serioase neplceri celui aflat n culp. Cci, ludat i aplaudat
pentru moment, n ochii funcionarului trufa sau n ai burghezului preocupat de profitul
propriu, omul de teatru tot un soi de saltimbanc rmnea.
Acestea sunt coordonatele generale ale activitii teatrului din Sibiu n secolul al
XIX-lea. n cele ce urmeaz vom trasa cteva linii de for care au marcat viaa teatral
sibian n veacul mai sus amintit. Repertoriul a fost puternic influenat de scena vienez,
spre finele secolului manifestndu-se ns o mai vdit nrurire a teatrului berlinez,
tendin care se accentueaz o dat cu debutul secolului al XX-lea. Au fost promovai
actori sibieni pe scenele germane, iar actori-vedet din spaiul cultural german au activat
adesea pe scena sibian (Agatha Brsescu). Diferiii lideri de trup din Sibiu au optat
pentru legturi strnse, de parteneriat, cu alte orae cu populaie german, n principal cu
Timioara, Braov i Arad. S-a dezvoltat i promovat n jurul teatrului sibian o
dramaturgie naional sseasc n a doua parte a secolului al XIX-lea (Traugott Teutsch,
Michael Albert, Friedrich Wilhelm Schuster), teatrul muzical ocupnd i el un loc din ce
n ce mai nsemnat n repertorii. La Sibiu au activat directori de teatru de mare succes la
nivel european precum Eduard Reiman (1864-1868) care a ocupat aceast funcie i la
teatrele din Cracovia, Lvov, Sankt Petersburg, Riga, Weimar, Frankfurt i Hamburg. De
asemenea, ncepnd cu anul 1893 pn n anul 1921 a activat la Sibiu directorul Leo
Bauer, regizor bavarez care a determinat o perioad de dezvoltare constant a teatrului
sibian, impunnd n repertoriu piese de Ibsen, Sudermann, Hauptmann i Schnitzler,
reprezentani de frunte ai avangardei teatrale la acea vreme. De asemenea, n condiiile
extrem de vitrege ale politicii agresive de maghiarizare a statului dualist, Leo Bauer a
reuit performana, dovedind o abilitate proverbial, ca teatrul sibian s rmn singurul
teatru german din sud-estul Europei, n contextul desfiinrii unor importante teatre
germane, ca cele din Buda sau Timioara bunoar. Turneele a numeroase trupe din

16

Berlin (Lessingtheater) la Sibiu au reprezentat i ele o dovad important a notorietii

internaionale pe care o cptase teatrul sibian n epoca Leo Bauer.
n paralel cu teatrul profesionist, pe parcursul secolului al XIX-lea i nceputul
secolului al XX-lea, s-a dezvoltat i teatrul de amatori, iar asociaiile culturale se
nmulesc, contribuind i ele semnificativ la dezvoltarea culturii sibiene n genre i a
teatrului sibian n special. Un bun exemplu este organizarea de ctre Asociaia femeilor
evanghelice n anul 1888 a fastuosului spectacol omagial, Lutherspiel de Otto
Devrient, cu ocazia celebrrii a 400 de ani de la naterea reformatorului de la Wittenberg.
De asemenea, Musikverein-ul a organizat la Sibiu primul spectacol din spaiul
romnesc dup dificila oper (Tannhuser) a lui Richard Wagner.

6.0. Teatrul german din Sibiu de dup Primul Rzboi Mondial pn la

formarea Landestheater-ului
Odat cu intrarea Transilvaniei sub jurisdicia Romniei minoritatea german a
continuat s piard din drepturile sale de autodeterminare. Dei germanii au avut dreptul
la un reprezentant la nivel guvernamental n persoana lui Richard Csaki, cel care prin
iniiativa nfiinrii Ligii culturale germane a fcut pai nsemnai n direcia concertrii
eforturilor de autodeterminrii a tuturor grupurilor etnice germane din statul nou nfiinat,
putem afirma din pcate c noua ornduire a afectat i mai mult drepturile i libertile
acestei minoriti, cel mai vizibil n prima decad de dup Primul Rzboi Mondial. Pe
plan politic, economic, dar i cultural, putem spune c Marea Unire, ca s uzitm
termenul ncetenit de festivista istoriografie romneasc, a fost mai degrab o mare
dezamgire pentru populaia german din aceast parte a lumii, iar scurta bucurie a
ieirii de sub influena naionalist maghiar din timpul Imperiului Habsburgic, i-a luat
locul o perioad de pierdere mult mai accentuat a unor drepturi fundamentale. Msuri,
pe care cu greu nu le-am putea cataloga ca nefiind de-a dreptul inutile i absurde, precum
cea prin care li se interzicea cetenilor strini s poposeasc mai mult de dou sptmni
n Romnia, dar i multe altele din pcate, au lovit n plin activitatea cultural a
germanilor romni, activitate dependent de colaborrile cu germanii din afara granielor.
17

Astfel n anul 1921, la nici trei ani de la ncheierea rzboiului, solida trup a lui
Leo Bauer, care se cimentase la Sibiu pe o perioad de aproape 30 de ani, se volatilizeaz
rapid n noile condiii socio-politice neprielnice. Iniiativele de aducere a unor noi trupe la
Sibiu care s activeze n cldirea teatrului orenesc precum cea a lui Wilhelm Popp sau
cea a comicului vienez Willy Stadler sunt repede sortite eecului, n ciuda faptului c sunt
sprijinite i din punct de vedere publicistic de reviste culturale (de pild Die Bhne),
avnd n echipa redacional intelectuali valoroi i dedicai, precum Otto Fritz Jickeli
tatl i fiul. Aa stnd lucrurile, Asociaia Deutscher Theaterverein26, creat n 1919
prin unirea asociaiilor teatrale existente n diferite localiti, a depus eforturi pentru
meninerea publicului i a interesului pentru teatru, prezentnd spectacole de un nivel
artistic apreciabil, repertoriul mergnd de la dramele clasice, la spectacole pentru copii,
farse i comedii nesemnificative. Sub conducerea lui Anton Maly, a Mannei Copony i a
lui Nicolae Boil, Asociaia sibian pentru teatru a montat n anii 1919-1927 peste 70
de piese, vizionate de 45.000 de spectatori. n anii n care a existat i teatru profesionist,
actori precum Kurt Wonger, Fritz Eitel, Anton Raul i Manna Copony au contribuit la
reuita teatrului de amatori. Teatrul de amatori a stat i n atenia Ligii Culturale a
Germanilor din Romnia Mare condus de profesorul Richard Csaki. Liga a sprijinit
organizarea turneelor unor trupe din spaiul de expresie german (Germania, Austria), a
acordat spaiu problemelor teatrului n revista Ostland (1926-1931), a nfiinat n 1924
o bibliotec destinat formaiilor teatrale de amatori.27 n 1927 a aprut din nou iniiativa
publicrii unei reviste teatrale Bltter des Deutschen Theatervereins in Hermannstadt,
foaie din care au aprut numai dou numere, ambele n mai 1927. Toate aceste iniiative
ludabile au fost ns sortite eecului deoarece nu aveau perspectiva i nici premisele de a
se ridica la nivelul nalt al manifestrilor culturale din perioada antebelic. Era nevoie de
o excepional concentrare a tuturor eforturilor pentru cristalizarea unui for cultural pe
msura nevoii populaiei, dar i a tradiiei teatrale sibiene.

26

*** Rckblick ber die bisherigen Auffhrungen des deutschen Theatervereins, n: Bltter des
Deutschen Theatervereins in Hermannstadt, Nr. 1, mai 1927, pp. 2-3.
27
Vasile Ciobanu, Contribuii la cunoaterea istoriei sailor transilvneni 1918-1944, Sibiu 2001, p. 397.

18

7. Deutsches Landestheater in Rumnien (Teatrul interregional german din

Romnia) 1933-1944
n timp, activitatea amatorilor se reduce, se simte lipsa teatrului profesionist i se
caut mereu soluii, n condiiile noii legislaii teatrale, pentru nfiinarea unui ansamblu
profesionist german, cu actori autohtoni, susinut prin contribuia financiar a membrilor
comunitii. Cel care gsete soluia este Gustav Ongyerth. n urma eforturilor sale, se
constituie, n primvara lui 1933, Theatergemeinschaft (Societatea pentru teatru
german) ai crei preedini sunt Michael Hannerth i Julius Bielz. Nou constituitei
societi i revenea menirea de a susine Deutsches Landestheater in Rumnien (Teatrul
interregional german din Romnia).
Prima trup profesionist german autohton a fost condus Gustav Ongyert, fost
impresar la Braov. Ongyert, om cu experien i talent organizatoric, a stabilit un
program de activitate riguros, cu stagiuni i turnee care s acopere tot spaiul cu populaie
german din Romnia. Trupa a fost alctuit n mare parte din artiti originari din
Transilvania, Banat i Bucovina, rspndii pe la teatrele din Europa i chemai s revin
n patrie pentru a contribui la realizarea acestui incitant proiect. La nceput s-a mers pe
sistemul specific teatrelor germane de provincie, cu spectacole de oper, de teatru i
operet. Din septembrie pn la sfritul lunii noiembrie se juca la Sibiu, prezentndu-se
ntregul repertoriu. Se pleca apoi la Braov i n ara Brsei, pe urm la Timioara i n
localitile mai mari din Banat. Dup stagiunea de primvar de la Sibiu i mprejurimi,
se fceau deplasri cu cteva piese la Media, Sighioara, Reghin i Bistria. n fiecare an,
n perioada 1933-1944, a fost organizat i o microstagiune teatral pentru publicul
bucuretean. Turneele teatrului au vizat i localitile foarte ndeprtate ale Regatului
Romniei locuite de germani, precum cele din Bucovina i Basarabia Cernui,
Tarutino, Srata, etc. Un bilan fcut de Julius Bielz pentru stagiunea 1937-1938 28 arat
c teatrul german sibian a prezentat spectacole n 34 de localiti, parcurgnd aproape
7.000 de km.
Odat cu nfiinarea teatrului, a aprut i un organ de pres, sptmnalul
Theaternachrichten. Wchentliche Mitteilungen des Deutschen Landestheaters in
28

Vezi anexa B26.

19

Rumnien29, o surs de informaii extrem de important n ceea ce privete activitatea

teatrului.
Ca spectacol inaugural al Landestheater, care a avut loc la 29 octombrie 1933,
s-a optat pentru piesa lui Friedrich Schiller Wilhelm Tell 30 n regia lui Gustav
Ongyerth. Wilhelm Tell a fost un succes, bucurndu-se de comentarii favorabile att
din partea criticii de specialitate, ct i din partea factorilor politici ai timpului. Teatrul
sibian a nceput entuziast, cu un repertoriu ambiios, minat ntructva doar de faptul c
ansamblul actoricesc nu era ntrutotul complet. Se cultiv marile valori ale teatrului
dramatic i de oper universal, sunt montate lucrri de autori autohtoni: Die
Pfingskrone (Coroana de Rusalii) a compozitoarei Bertha Bock i opera Der Gnstlig
de Wagner-Regny, piesele Der junge Wolf (Lupul cel tnr), de Franz Karl Franchy.
Publicului german i sunt oferite i cteva piese romneti Meterul Manole de
Lucian Blaga31, Mucata din fereastr de V. I. Popa, Eroul zilei 32 i Mamzel
Sevastia de Ion Sngeorgiu i Titanic vals 33 de Tudor Muatescu. n repertoriu sunt
incluse i cteva piese bulevardiere, menite s atrag un public larg i s contribuie la
ameliorarea situaiei financiare a teatrului. Din piesele montate din repertoriul
internaional amintim Revizorul34 de Gogol n regia lui Nicolae Nastasi, Das Konzert
(Concertul) de Hermann Bahr n regia Mannei Copony, spectacol prin intermediul cruia
se srbtoreau cei 70 de ani de via ai creatorului expresionist german, apoi piesa
Mensch, aus Erde gemacht35 (Omul plmdit din rn) a lui Friedrich Griese, un
scriitor german, ale crui lucrri erau deja impregnate de noul spirit naionalist exacerbat.
Se cuvine evideniat i iniiativa conductorilor teatrului de a scoate spectacolele
din spaiul consacrat. n 1935 a fost construit, o scen n aer liber 36 n parcul Sub arini
dup modelul aa ziselor Thingsttten din Germania. Odat cu venirea la putere a
partidului nazist n Germania s-a trecut la practicarea unui nou gen teatral, numit
Thingspiel, termenul thing provenind din frizona veche, respectiv din saxona veche,
29

Vezi anexa B26.

Vezi anexa B27.
31
Vezi anexa B28.
32
Vezi anexa B29.
33
Vezi anexa B29.
34
Vezi anexa B29.
35
Vezi anexa B29.
36
Vezi anexa B30.
30

20

desemnnd un tribunal popular sau o adunare popular. Thingspiel-ul era conceput sub
forma unei opere de art totale, Gesamtkunstwerk, cu un puternic coninut
propagandistic, cultic i naional. Cum efectele educative nu au fost cele scontate i se
simea o lips acut de piese adecvate, iar pe de alt parte costurile erau mari i
dificultile tehnice adesea insurmontabile, interesul pentru aceast micarea sczut, iar
din 1937 s-a renunat la ea. Scena din parcul Sub Arini nu a fost o Thingsttte n
adevratul sens al cuvntului, dar sursa de inspiraie nu poate fi contestat. Ceea ce presa
cotidian i teatral desemna cu termenul de Naturtheater (teatru n natur, n aer
liber) a fost inaugurat cu opera Der Gnstling (Favoritul) de Rudolf Wagner-Rgeny
n regia lui Gust Ongyerth, conducerea muzical aparinndu-i lui Karl Egon Glckselig.
n 1936 Theaternachrichten au ncetat s apar, dar cotidianul SiebenbrgischDeutsches Tageblatt a continuat s publice cronici teatrale. Date importante despre
aciunile ntreprinse de Landestheater pot fi gsite n caietele de sal numite
Bhnenbltter (Pagini de scen) i n calendarul scos de instituia sibian.
Finanarea a constituit o permanent problem pentru conducerea instituiei i
pentru actorii care lucrau ntr-un ritm epuizant, ca s asigure continuitatea
reprezentaiilor. Problemele financiare au devenit acute la sfritul anului 1938. Atunci
cnd se fceau pregtiri pentru a srbtori 150 de ani de la inaugurarea localului,
stagiunea de toamn a fost suspendat de poliie din cauza pericolului de incendiu.
Reparaiile i interveniile pentru securizare, acoperite n mare parte de municipalitate, sau extins pn la nceputul lui 1939. Lipsa spectacolelor n aceast perioad, dificultile
nregistrate la Timioara din cauza nemulumirilor provocate de reducerea numrului de
spectatori ai teatrului local n urma turneelor Landestheater-ului, la care s-a mai
adugat interdicia de a juca n perioada Crciunului, au aruncat teatrul ntr-o criz care ia periclitat nsi existena37.

37

*** Deutsches Landestheater in Rumnien eingestellt!, n: Mnchener Zeitung, 5 ian. 1939; *** Das
Deutsche Landestheater in Rumnien eingestellt, n: Westdeutscher Beobachter, 4 ian. 1939; H. H. E.,
Jdische Niedertracht gegen deutsche Kultur, n: N.S. Landpost, Berlin, 13 ian. 1939.

21

Salvarea a venit de la turneul 38 pe care Ongyerth l-a organizat n Germania 39 i

Austria, n primvara i vara lui 1939 (dou luni), cu opereta pe motive populare sseti
Mdel aus dem Kokeltal40 (Fata de pe Trnave) de Richard Oschanitzky41. Prin acest
turneu Ongyerth atrage atenia forurilor germane asupra teatrului su, care i avea sediul
ntr-o regiune ce intrase n acea perioad n atenia cercurilor expansioniste 42 i obine
sprijin material. Acestea din urm l-ar fi obligat pe Ongyerth la anumite concesii n ceea
ce privete repertoriul.
n stagiunile urmtoare a continuat procesul de politizare i de integrare a teatrului
n micarea de nnoire care era n toi nu numai n Germania, ci i n comunitile etnicilor
germani din afara granielor Germaniei43. Declanarea celui de-al Doilea Rzboi Mondial,
pierderile teritoriale ale Romniei n urma Dictatului de la Viena i mutarea etnicilor
germani din Basarabia i Bucovina n teritoriile de est ale Germaniei, pierderea unui
numr nsemnat de actori au nsemnat tot attea provocri pentru Landestheater,
obligndu-l s-i regndeasc strategia. Noua subordonare se reflect i n repertoriu.
Alturi de valoroase lucrri clasice i de piesele uoare menite s atrag un public larg, n
repertoriu sunt incluse piese ce elogiau lupta, eroismul, supremaia rasial a germanitii.
Se joac mai toat dramaturgia lui Eberhard Wolfgang Mller, inclusiv Das Opfer
(Jertfa), pies ce atac deschis problema supremaiei rasiale i a esenei subumane a
popoarelor negermanice. Ajutorul din Reich s-a manifestat i prin colaborri cu actori
cunoscui din Germania, aa cum s-a ntmplat n 1943. Atunci Paul Wagner, Angela
Salloker i Alexander Golling au fost oaspei n Faust care, n intervalul 22-24
octombrie s-a jucat la Sibiu, iar ntre 27-29 octombrie, la Bucureti44.

38

Vezi anexa B30.

*** Siebenbrger auf Pfalzfahrt begegnen dem Fhrer. Ein Erlebnis von der Fahrt des Deutschen
Landestheaters in Rumnien, n: Saarbrcker Zeitung, 7 aug. 1939; *** Deutsche Theaterkunst auf
Vorposten. Eine HB Unterredung als Vorschau auf das heutige Gastspiel des Deutschen Landestheaters in
Rumnien, n: Hakenkreuzbanner Gro-Mannheim 9 iunie 1939; *** Das Deutsche Landestheater
Rumniens in Wien, n: Vlkischer Beobachter, Wien, 16 iun. 1939.
40
Vezi anexa B32.
41
Vezi anexa B32.
42
Heinrich Zillich, Deutsche Bhne in Siebenbrgen. Zur Deutschlandreise des Landestheaters
Hermannstadt, n: Mnchner Neueste Nachrichten, nr. 105, 15 apr. 1939; Peter Loth, Lieber Besuch aus
Rumnien. Volksdeutsche Knstler kamen. Ein Singspiel von Oschanitzky Das Mdel aus dem Kokeltal,
n: Mnchner Neueste Nachrichten, nr. 105, 15 apr. 1939
43
Vezi anexa B33.
44
Vezi n: Sdostdeutsche Tageszeitung, nr. 246, 22 oct. 1943, p. 5.
39

22

Dac n 1940, datorit pierderilor teritoriale ale Romniei, Landestheater a

pierdut o parte din spectatorii tradiionali, prezena trupelor germane de instruire (aanumitele Lehrtruppen) n ar a adus un numr apreciabil de noi spectatori. n ultimii
ani de activitate, ca formaiune a GEG care cerea angajarea deplin n efortul de rzboi al
Germaniei naziste, aria turneelor Landestheater-ului s-a extins foarte mult, cuprinznd
i localiti de peste hotare, unde existau comuniti germane sau garnizoane ale trupelor
Reich-ului. Ca s fac fa acestor cerine, ansamblul s-a divizat temporar n dou i a
prezentat spectacole n Serbia, la Belgrad45 i Ni, n Croaia, la Zagreb (Agram), n
Bosnia, la Sarajevo, n Banatul de vest, la Pancevo, Vre i Becicherecul Mare, n
Basarabia i n Ucraina, la Odesa46.
Pe parcursul scurtei sale existene, teatrul profesionist german nfiinat la Sibiu n
1933 a crescut continuu, n ciuda greutilor de tot felul pe care le-a avut de ntmpinat,
reuind s fie o prezen cultural activ n viaa comunitilor germane din Romnia.
Chiar dac din punctul de vedere al regiei i scenografiei nu s-au nregistrat succese
notabile. S-a respectat maniera clasic, tradiional, iar prin repertoriul su de baz
Landestheater-ul s-a afirmat ca promotor al unui teatru educativ, a fost un focar de
cultur care a permis, n deceniul 1933-1944, contactul cu valorile mari dramaturgiei
clasice universale.47 A urmrit, totodat, promovarea dramaturgiei autohtone,
propunndu-i ca aceste piese s nu lipseasc din nici o stagiune, fapt care n-a contribuit
n toate cazurile la ridicarea calitii teatrului.
Evoluia rzboiului, nefavorabil Germaniei, a dus la dizolvarea ansamblului n
toamna lui 1944 dup ce muli membri ai si prsiser Romnia 48. Chiar dac
Landestheater-ul nu ar fi activat sub tutela GEG, activitatea ansamblului nu ar mai fi
putut continua n condiiile de dup rzboi, pentru c el slujise o comunitate care, la
sfritul rzboiului, a fost plasat de nvingtorii sovietici n rndul celor care trebuiau s
plteasc, a fost condamnat n bloc, a fost lipsit de drepturi civile, a fost inta

45

Grete Rottmann, Das Landestheather der Deutschen Volksgruppe in Rumnien, n: Donauzeitung

(Belgrad), 8 martie 1942, p. 3; Grete Rottmann, Das Landestheather der Deutschen Volksgruppe in
Rumnien, n ibid., 8 febr. 1943, p. 3 apud Klaus Popa
46
Vezi n: Sdostdeutsche Tageszeitung (SODTZ), nr. 91, 20 apr. 1943, p. 7, apud Klaus Popa
47
Istoria... III, p. 134
48
Ciobanu, op. cit., p. 402

23

deportrilor abuzive, a muncii forate i a deposedrii de bunuri. n acei ani viaa teatrului
german n Romnia prea definitiv i irevocabil ncheiat.

8.0. Teatrul german din Sibiu n anii comunismului

Odat cu instaurarea noii puteri la Bucureti, teatrul, care faptic, nu mai exista, a
fost i legal desfiinat; arhiva, biblioteca i patrimoniul au fost mprtiate n cele patru
vnturi, actorii care mai existau, au fost fie deportai n URSS, fie nghiii de un deplin
anonimat. A nceput o perioad n care orice urm de cultur german a fost stins.
Lovitura de graie a venit n 13 februarie 1949, cnd vechiul Teatru orenesc n care
ntre timp se instalase nou-nfiinatul Teatru al poporului a ars n condiii nc
neelucidate. Timp de aproape un deceniu teatrul german din Sibiu a fost mort. Dup
cteva ncercri de renatere a teatrului sibian prin iniiative ale amatorilor, teatrul
instituionalizat a renscut la Sibiu, pentru prima dat n istoria acestui ora, ca teatru
romnesc. Dup ce i-a schimbat de dou ori titulatura ntre 1946 i 1948 (Teatrul
Muncitoresc din Sibiu, respectiv Teatrul Poporului, filiala Sibiu), teatrul sibian a
primit titulatura pe care o va purta pn n anul 1989, Teatrul de Stat Sibiu. Timide
ncercri de prezentare a unor spectacole n limba german au existat i nainte de 1956.
Ca parte a procesului instructiv-educativ, n coli se montau pentru elevi i prini piese
clasice49. Puine la numr, ele n-au avut o rezonan deosebit. De substan s-a dovedit a
fi, n schimb, activitatea ppuarilor care, ncepnd din 1947, au readus primii limba
german pe scen.
Sub auspiciile noului Teatru de Stat din Sibiu se va nfiina, n 1956, i o secie
n limba german, rennodnd tradiia teatrului german la Sibiu, ntrerupt brutal la
sfritul rzboiului. Pregtirile pentru nfiinarea Seciei Germane a Teatrului de Stat
din Sibiu au nceput n primvara anului 1956, ca urmare a unei consftuiri organizate de
Comitetul regional al Partidului Muncitoresc Romn din Braov cu reprezentani ai
oamenilor muncii de naionalitate german50. Soluia tranzitorie gsit a constat n
49
50

Schuschnig, op. cit. , p. 146

Weber, Horst, n: Die Woche nr. 976/29 aug. 1986, p. 5

24

nfiinarea de ctre secia cultural a Sfatului popular al oraului Sibiu a unei echipe de
amatori pe lg Teatrul de Stat51. A fost adus la Sibiu regizorul Hans Schuschnig 52, care
lucrase la Secia German a teatrului din Timioara, cu misiunea de a ncerca nchegarea
unui colectiv i de a pune n scen un spectacol-examen, care s fie prezentat factorilor cu
atribuii de decizie pe linie de partid i de stat. Din motive tactice, dup cum recunoate i
Schuschnig nsui, a fost aleas piesa lui Bertolt Brecht, Mutter Courage, purttoare a
unui mesaj umanist, antirzboinic, de apreciat cu att mai mult cu ct, n perioada la care
ne referim, principalul cal de btaie al propagandei oficiale era lupta pentru pace.
Primul spectacol al seciei germane nou nfiinate n sala teatrului, a avut loc la 27
noiembrie i a beneficiat de condiii materiale ct de ct acceptabile. Teatrul sibian
funciona, dup incendiul care distrusese n 1949 Teatrul municipal din Turnul Gros, n
cldirea fostului cinematograf Apollo53, amenajat sumar pentru noua destinaie.
De la nfiinare, secia german a teatrului sibian s-a confruntat cu problema
general a tuturor instituiilor de spectacole, aceea a alcturii repertoriului, vzut de
Schuschnig ca un balans pe o punte ngust, ntre nzuinele artistice i culturale ale
ansamblului i cerinele propagandei politice ale organelor de partid locale i centrale 54.
Era epoca realismului socialist de tip stalinist, iar tutela politic era foarte riguroas. Din
cauza unor abateri de la linia ideologic a partidului dou dintre spectacolele de nceput
ale Seciei Germane (Jugend/Tineree, de Max Halbe i Woyzeck de Georg
Bchner), au fost interzise. A fost un avertisment serios, chiar la nceputul de drum al
formaiei teatrale germane55. Repertoriul era alctuit innd seama de nite principii
riguroase, preocuparea de baz fiind eliminarea oricrei posibiliti de a propaga idei
ostile sistemului ori de a prezenta puncte de vedere diferite de cele ale politicii oficiale. n
timp, aceste criterii s-au modificat parial, n funcie de evoluia politicii partidului.
51

O tire n Flacra Sibiului din 25 aprilie 1956 anuna nfiinarea acestei secii dramatice, care urma s
prezinte primul spectacol la finele lunii iunie.
52
Vezi anexa B35.
53
Vezi anexa B36.
54
Schuschnig, Hermannstadt, p. 147
55
Nu e locul s analizm aici contribuia fiecrei persoane care a ocupat, n timp, funcia de director al
Teatrului de Stat la stabilirea reperoriului Seciei Germane a Teatrului de Stat. Horia Benea, Nicolae
Albani, erban Diamandi, Eugen Onu, Nicolae Niculescu, Dan Nasta, Mircea Braga, Ion Buleandr, Pamfil
Matei, Ilie Moise, Emilian Luncau au colaborat, mai mult sau mai puin, n funcie de capacitate i de
temperament, cu efii Seciei Germane Hans Binder, Hans Schuschnig, Christian Maurer, bineneles,
sub ndrumarea organizaiei de partid. Benefic pentru Secia German i pentru teatru, n general s-a
dovedit a fi prezena la conducere, n calitate de director-adjunct, a lui Wilhelm Mller (1961-1969),
excelent organizator i administrator.

25

Criteriul sovietic bunoar, a fost nlocuit cu criteriile cerute de naional-comunismul

ceauist, cu cerinele politicii de formare a omului nou.
n afara traducerilor unor piese romneti, impuse de partid i jucate de nevoie se
jucau de exemplu Thornton Wilder, Unsre Kleine Stadt (Micul nostru ora), Max
Frisch, Don Juan oder die Liebe zur Geometrie 56 (Don Juan sau dragostea pentru
geometrie), Martin Walser, Zimmerschlacht (Rzboi n dormitor), Peter Hacks,
Amphitrion, precum i autori locali germani precum Otto Fritz Jickeli, Gaan von
Salzburg i Bettina Schuller, Froschknig (Regele broscoi), alturi de Egmont,
Don Carlos, Intrig i iubire57, ultima dintre acestea dominnd repertoriul, jucat
fiind de peste 300 de ori n decursul a aproape 10 ani, n dou montri diferite. Se poate
constata, dup 1971, o cretere a ponderii pieselor romneti contemporane, precum piese
de Aurel Baranga, Horia Lovinescu, Paul Everac, D.R. Popescu, Eugen Barbu, Ion
Bieu .a.
Caracteristica de teatru n turneu a teatrului german sibian este mereu subliniat
n pres. Publicaiile de limb german insereaz frecvent informaii despre turnee, cu
localiti, date i titluri de piese, dar i n publicaiile romneti e evideniat
caracteristica acestei instituii, aceea de teatru itinerant, care au o contribuie efectiv
la realizarea dezideratului societii noastre, ca valorile culturii s devin un bun al
tuturor.58 n caietul-program, tiprit cu ocazia mplinirii a 25 de ani de existen a seciei
germane, se vorbete despre peste 250 de localiti din Romnia, n care reprezentanii
scenei germane au prezentat spectacole, iar aplauzele publicului (...) au rspltit, cum se
cuvine, un repertoriu de excepie, alctuit din valori reprezentative ale dramaturgiei
naionale i universale.59 La respectiva aniversare, numrul premierelor era de 152, iar al
spectatorilor, de 1.396.010. Piesele cele mai ndrgite de public, conform statisticii, au
fost Intrig i iubire de Friedrich Schiller, cu 232 de reprezentaii i 75.000 de
spectatori, urmat de Emilia Galotti de G. E. Lessing, cu 151 de reprezentaii i 50.000
de spectatori i Clavigo de J. W. Goethe, jucat n faa a 30.000 de spectatori. n ceea
56

Veyi anexa B38.

Vezi anexa B38.
58
Reichrath, Emmerich, Succese ale micrii teatrale romneti. Din preocuprile scenelor de expresie
german din Sibiu i Timioara, n: Scnteia, anul XIV, nr. 10.477, 28 aprilie 1976.
57

59

*** Teatrul de Stat Sibiu, Secia german 25, 1956-1981, editat de Comitetul pentru cultur i educaie

socialist, p. 2

26

ce privete alctuirea repertoriului, pe primul loc s-a situat dramaturgia romneasc i a

naionalitilor conlocuitoare, reprezentnd 41% din totalul pieselor jucate, urmat de cea
clasic german, reprezentnd 21%. Dramaturgia german din Romnia a fost prezent
cu 7,3 %, restul aparinnd dramaturgiei strine, clasice i contemporane60.
n ultimii ani, secia german a teatrului sibian a fost pus n situaii extrem de
dificile. Pe de o parte, organizarea turneelor era vital pentru supravieuire, pe de alt
parte politica de economii la care era constrns instituia, raionalizarea combustibilului
pentru mijloacele de transport auto, imposibilitatea de a se nclzi slile de spectacol n
sezonul rece constituiau impedimente cvasiinsurmontabile n atingerea acelui obiectiv.
Cu toate acestea n 1986, la mplinirea a 40 de ani de existen, secia german a
Teatrului de Stat din Sibiu se prezenta cu un bilan impresionant: 5.658 de spectacole i
1.598.215 spectatori, dintre care 4.065 de reprezentaii n afara Sibiului (71,84%)61. Pn
la sfritul lui 1989 artitii germani sibieni au ajuns n 254 de localiti, cel mai des
vizitate fiind: Mediaul (de 207 ori), Braovul (180), Sighioara (147), Agnita (133),
Cisndie (130) i Timioara (127).
n deceniile al optulea i al al noulea ale veacului trecut a aprut la Sibiu o
revist teatral numit Thespiskarren ca rezultat al iniiativei secretarului literar Franz
Csiky, care n anul 1978 a prsit Teatrul German de Stat din Timioara pentru Secia
German a Teatrului de Stat din Sibiu. Ideea de baz era c ceea ce ndeobte este
publicat n caietele de sal (biografia autorului, concepia regizoral, articole privind
opera autorului etc.) este prea puin pentru a iniia o educare despre fenomenul teatral
care s garanteze o preocupare autentic i ndelungat a spectatorului pentru acest art.
O analiz sumar a numerelor revistei aprute sub redacia lui Franz Csiky dovedete
paleta larg a temelor abordate. n centru st interesul pentru istoria teatrului din Sibiu, n
special pentru teatrul profesionist de limb german n decursul secolelor. Articolele
respective nu sunt ns doar o trecere n revist cronologic a evenimentelor, ci grupeaz
informaiile i diacronic, n jurul temei prezentate, fcndu-se uneori paralele extrem de
interesante la micarea teatral european a epocilor abordate.
60

Franz Csiky, Theaterjubilum in der Zibinsstadt. Fnfundzwanzig Jahre in der Statistik, n Neuer Weg,
smbt, 21 nov. 1981, pp. 3-4.
61

[Fassel, Horst; Rill, Martin] Pliantul expoziiei 425 Jahre deutsches Theater in Hermannstadt, 50 Jahre DASS,

p. 9

27

ncepnd cu 1 aprilie 1984 subvenia pe care o primea Teatrul de la stat era mai
mic dect asigurrile sociale i impozitele pe care instituia trebuia s le achite
statului62. n asemenea condiii teatrul sibian s-a vzut pus n faa unei probleme capitale
- cea a supravieuirii sale prin msuri de economii extreme 63 i prin recurgerea la diferite
soluii paliative. Iat cum erau vzute lucrurile din interior de ctre un membru al
colectivului seciei germane, ziaristul Wolfgang Wittstock, ajuns ntre 1983-1986 secretar
literar: Banii erau din ce n ce mai puini, existau dificulti de achitare a salariilor care,
de obicei, nu se plteau integral, odat achitndu-se doar n proporie de 35%. n teatru sa nstpnit o atmosfer apstoare, s-a ajuns la tensiuni, mai vechile diferende i
conflicte s-au adncit i s-au exteriorizat frecvent. Consecina a fost faptul c aproape
fiecare membru al ansamblului ncerca s se descurce cum putea mai bine n acea
degringolad, c muli membri, att ai seciei germane, ct i ai celei romne au prsit
teatrul, unii din proprie iniiativ, alii concediai, i c se generalizase sentimentul c, cel
puin secia german, se afl inexorabil n faa sfritului.
Dei anii '60-'70 ai secolului trecut au reprezentat punctul de culminaie artistic a
Seciei Germane, fiind perioada n care trupa ajunsese la o maturitate a mijloacelor
artistice, beneficiind totodat i de colaborri cu regizori i scenografi valoroi din ar i
strintate, nc de la sfritul deceniului al aptelea i nceputul celui urmtor au aprut o
serie de dificulti: nu era asigurat schimbul de generaii n cadrul trupei, spectatorii
ncepeau s devin tot mai puini datorit accelerrii migrrii n Vest, iar lipsa de
comunicare cu teatrele din ar crease instituiei un fel de stare de izolare i frustrare a
artitilor Seciei64. Se poate considera c anii 1980-1989 au nsemnat o destrmare, lent
la nceput, tot mai accelerat apoi, a colectivului teatrului german din Sibiu, pn la
cvasidisoluia din 1990. Plecri tot mai numeroase, urmate de ncercri mereu mai puin
reuite sub aspect calitativ, de umplere a golurilor rmase.
Ruptura brutal de trecut n urma nlturrii regimului totalitar, masivul val de
migrare a etnicilor germani, plecarea majoritii actorilor i a personalului auxiliar al
Seciei Germane odat cu cei pe care-i slujiser pe scenele slilor de spectacole din
62

Wittstock, Wolfgang, Requiem zum Geburtstag n: Neuer Weg, 29 nov. 1991, p. 6

De exemplu, toi portarii au fost concediai, locul lor fiind inut, prin rotaie, de personalul administrativ.
64
Elke Sigerus, Die Kondition des Schauspielers. Glanz im Rampenlicht und hartnckige Arbeit.
Rundtischgesprch mit Schauspielern der deutschen Abteilung des Staatstheaters Sibiu, n: Die Woche,
nr. 241, 4 aug. 1972, pp. 6-7.
63

28

Transilvania i Banat, preau a duce la dispariia teatrului german din Sibiu, tot aa cum,
n alte condiii de cotitur istoric, se ntmplase n 1944. Previziunile scepticilor nu s-au
mplinit ns, cci n primvara lui 1990 Secia German s-a reconstituit sub
coordonarea arhitectului Horaiu Mihaiu, noul ef al Seciei.
Secia German din Sibiu a contribuit, alturi de alte instituii culturale, la
pstrarea spiritualitii germane din aceast ar, influennd, prin viu grai, cultivarea
limbii germane literare. Asemenea ntregii micri teatrale profesioniste din Romnia,
teatrul german a avut n ultimii ani ai dictaturii i o funcie catarctic, de descrcare a
tensiunilor acumulate, deoarece a denunat unele dintre tarele societii, situaie tolerat
de aparatul de partid i de stat.

29

Synopsis of the Doctoral Dissertation on

The History of the German Theatre in Sibiu

1. Rationale
Despite certain remarkable contributions to the history of the German theatre in Sibiu,
there is no such thing as a complete history or, at least, one that should collect the entire
existing material on the Sibiu theatre in a unitary and stylistically coherent work. For this
reason, we have embarked upon such a task.
The present dissertation thus intends to offer a synthetic outlook on the history of
the Sibiu theatre in all its aspects (historiography, spectacology, dramaturgy etc.) from an
interdisciplinary perspective, which combines the methods of the cultural historian with
those of the sociologist and, to a lesser extent, even with those of the politologist. By the
syntagm the history of the German theatre in Sibiu, we understand the entire complex
of values, institutions, as well as spiritual and artistic products, which have preserved and
perpetuated for over 800 years the culture, particularly in the field of drama, and the
features of this ethnic group. In a very strict sense, the German theatre in Sibiu is related
to the cultural history of the Saxons who have lived here for centuries. However, we
understand this syntagm in a wider sense, as culture, owing to its protean boundaries,
does not allow a reductionist approach. Thus, the theatre performed in Latin until the 18 th
century, which was very popular especially among the refined and fashionable German
audience, has also been included in this topic. Moreover, resorting to the comparative
method, we have further included the development of the German theatre in Sibiu within
both the Transylvanian and the broader European context, because very many of the
names who contributed to its development were not even locals. Thus, they have
managed to inscribe the German theatre in Sibiu in the very complex cultural
development of the pan-European German theatre.
The major disadvantage in our research work was the sometimes critical and
inexplicable absence of the very dramatic texts, be they even 20th century products. Very
many plays got lost for various reasons, such as fires or they did not see the light of print,

30

or they became illegible in time because of the poor printing quality. Although the
invoked motive is highly objective and, at times, very frustrating, the secondary
bibliography has become paramount. Despite knowing that a didactic and reproductive
approach might become at any time disputable, we have nevertheless been compelled to
resort to it. We have taken this risk since the texts, however incomplete and prone to
many questions, are, nonetheless, very interesting and worth being highlighted, even
when sometimes only speculatively.
Thus, the aim of the present dissertation is the coherent and progressive study of
the history of the German theatre in Sibiu, starting from its origins, throughout the
humanistic stage of the amateur theatre performed in the 16th and 17th century Reformed
Grammar Schools and up to the present day, when, alongside with the Romanian theatre,
it played an important role within the general framework of Sibiu, European Capital of
Culture 2007. However, we have not studied thoroughly the post-1989 period, since the
events are not remote enough and the risk to obstruct the objectivity of our research is, in
our opinion, very high.
In view of the fact that, so far, Romanian culture lacks a thorough and systematic
analysis of the history of the German theatre in southeastern Europe, as well as a
monograph on the history of the Sibiu theatre, we believe that our modest undertaking
will help fill this void and inspire the writing of a future history of the German theatre in
Transylvania, the Banat and the Bucovina. Our undertaking is even more necessary for a
just perception of the cultural realities of this multiethnic and multilingual space, since
during the 18th and the 19th centuries the German theatre in Transylvania and the Banat
benefited from infrastructure, a highly interested audience and an artistic performance,
superior to that of the Romanian and Hungarian theatres, which circumscribe
approximately the same cultural area, but which, at present, tends to dominate it by
justifying its domination through occultation and isolation, be it intentionally or not, of
the German cultural history.
We believe that in the context of the third millennium, which is open to tolerance
and cultural diversity, this type of restricted approach has become obsolete and
inefficient, so that the German theatre in this cultural area will connect itself to the
present realities of its manifestations and, at the same time, will study its past, the causes

31

and the circumstances, which have led to its appearance and transformation over the
centuries.
We feel that such an undertaking in the Romanian language is both necessary and
welcome, since the German theatre in Transylvania should not be looked upon as an
insignificant cultural endeavour, but as an important part of the history of the Romanian
theatre itself. Due to the fact that so far the history of the German theatre in Romania has
been written almost exclusively only in German, which otherwise is but natural given the
historical circumstances, has unfortunately triggered the unjustified ignorance of this
important vein of autochthonous culture and spirituality by the Romanian theatre
historians, which is nevertheless unpardonable, since in less than a decade we shall
celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the union of Transylvania and the Banat with
Romania.
Moreover, the subjective incentive to this undertaking is also dictated by the
difficult position in which the German theatre in Sibiu finds itself at present given the
almost complete absence of a German audience. Hence, we believe that the further
existence of this theatre must rely on rigorous and honest knowledge of its cultural past.

2. The Beginnings of Theatre in Transylvania. The Middle Ages.

The historians of the European medieval theatre rightfully complain about the scarcity of
information regarding the appearance and evolution of this cultural phenomenon. The
Early Middle Ages, i.e. from the 5th century onwards, with all its social and political
turmoil, the crystallization of the first states and of the European cultures under the everincreasing authority of the church on both the moral and the political-administrative
levels, up to intolerance and obscurantism, did not foster the development of the drama,
but threw it into obscurity after its flowering during the Greco-Roman Antiquity. The
development of the drama in what we now call Transylvania would have been completely
impossible because of the troubled migration age, when the real or imaginary riches of
the western world lured the peoples.

32

The first theatrical acts had a profound religious character and were closely
related to the Christian worship in churches and monasteries. They were the liturgical
plays that accompanied the divine service and they staged the miracles and the mysteries
of the Nativity, the Resurrection, and the Lives of the Saints. These incipient plays
circulated all over the western world until about the 16 th century and were also
sporadically met in Transylvania, where they had either been adopted by the new
population or borrowed from the west. First and foremost, mention should be made that it
was Christianity itself that offered the very theatrical elements through its canon-based
liturgical ritual.
Dramatic elements will be found in both the liturgical ritual and in the folklore of
the various populations in Transylvania. These performances were related to customs,
some rooted in century-old myths, in the magic rituals of birth and death, of christening
and marriage, of the agrarian cycle, of Christmas or of the New Year Holiday. Among the
folklore productions of the native Romanians in Transylvania, the researchers mention
the customs related to the work in the fields, the various holidays during the year, the
christening, the marriage and the wake. The traditional customs of the winter holidays
play a special role, which gradually made them more and more spectacular. The spring
and summer customs, themselves rooted in certain mystical practices, are late reflections
of the old celebrations of the ancient gods.
In fact, the remarks on the theatricality of the traditional folk customs of the
Transylvanian Romanians are equally valid for the other ethnic groups that in time have
settled in these territories, each displaying its specific mythology. Eugen Filtsch 65 and
Harald Krasser,66 researchers of the early history of the German theatre in Transylvania,
agree that its beginnings are related to the religious acts and the folk plays. This
phenomenon is similar to that in Western Europe, except for that fact that it occurs later
and lasts longer, according to the economic, social and political development of
Transylvania. Eugen Filtsch states that the liturgical rituals of the medieval church first
gave birth to the religious plays and then to the mysteries, the latter being impressive and
grandiose performances.
65

Eugen Filtsch, Geschichte des deutschen Theaters in Siebenbrgen, in Archiv der Vereins fr
siebenbrgische Landeskunde, vol. 21, (1887/1888), pp. 515-529.
66
Harald Krasser, Zur Frhgeschichte des deutschen Theaters in Siebenbrgen, in Neue
Literatur, nr. 16 (1965), book 5, pp. 119-126.

33

Starting from the reality of an age that is too little documented by written
sources, as Harald Krasser67 puts it, Eugen Filtsch states the following: The liturgical
representations were surely part of the divine services held in the churches of the
Transylvanian Saxons, even if here the pomp and ceremony of the German minsters
could not manifest itself with the same grandeur. And even if there are no written
accounts of the early beginnings, traces of such liturgical representations can be still
found today in the worship rituals of the Transylvanian communities. 68 The latter
mentions as examples the so-called Dicta, a story of the Passion of Jesus,
antiphonically presented during the Passion Week, then the one-acters of the Christmas
service and the Star Song of the Theophany and then adds the scenes from the Lives of
the Saints, which were still presented at Cincu-Mare in the 18 th century. The traditions of
the rural Saxon communities also display other folk customs with a dramatic core. Eugen
Filtsch considers the custom of leading the deceased out of the house for burial, which is
practiced in Bruiu, to be reminiscence of Germanic myths focusing on the eternal battle
between spring and winter.
Literary history has for a long time neglected two folk plays with dramatic
character that were discovered in the 19th century, but which rather belong to the 17 th
century in terms of topic and style. One is a comedy and the other is about the death of a
wealthy man. The former is called Rschentanz - The Dance of the Little Rose and the
latter, Knigslied The Kings Song, is a local variant of the famous British
Everyman morality play.
The townsman is the major character present in the century-old customs of the
Transylvanian medieval guilds. They are the guildsmen response to their need for
representation and festive expression.69 The Sword Dance of the furriers guild
displays incipient dramatic elements. In Transylvania, this dance was included in the
investiture ceremony of a new Saxon Comes and in the 18th century, it became almost a
national dance.70 The privilege of performing the dance was given to the furriers guild
as a reward for their legendary merit for having rescued the Comes during a battle against
67
68
69

Ibid., p. 119.
Eugen Filtsch, Geschichte, op. cit., p. 117.
Karl Kurt Klein, Shakespeare in Siebenbrgen, in Siebenbrgische Vierteljahrschrift, 1938, pp.

233-238.
70

Harald Krasser, Zur Frhgeschichte ...., op. cit., p. 104.

34

the Turks at Tlmaciu. As in many medieval performances, the heroic was doubled by the
comic; the Sword Dance was followed by the burlesque Pony Dance presented by
the tailors guild. Another dance of the artisans is the Hoop Dance that was preserved
within the carnivalesque Urzeln parade in Agnita. Initially presented by the coopers
guild, then by the cobblers guild, this dance has been preserved as an acrobatic
performance, which apparently goes back to the early Ottoman invasions of the second
half of the 15th century; however, it has its roots in the very old spring rituals.
These late-medieval dances with their archaic forms of dialogue are compilations
of ancient traditions and orally-transmitted folk plays that were refined over generations.
Moreover, they represent the beginnings of the theatre, which evolved from the Christian
and pagan rituals and which went out of the church into the urban public space. The
actual performer is not the mime or the joculator who, anticipating on an inferior level the
professional actor, stages his burlesque jokes in town squares or at courts, but the cleric,
the townsman and, last but not least, the student.
The 16th century urban communities organized large-scale overwhelming showy
performances. One of them (the first mentioned by Emil Sigerus in his Chronicle of the
Town of Sibiu) took place in the Sibiu Grand Square on February 15, 1582. According to
Filtsch, it recalled the mysteries performed in the German cities, and Krasser compares
them to the triomfi staged in the Renaissance state-cities of Italy. Both take their
information from earlier sources, such as Gustav Seiverts book published in 1859.71
Inspired by historical events the peace between Poland and Russia after the long
war waged by the armies of Stephen Bthory, King of Poland and Prince of Transylvania,
against those of Ivan the Terrible the performance was organized by the Saxon Comes
Albert Huet. The theatrical performance, for which the City Senate provided the prop,
i.e. the garments, the ornaments, the sceptres, etc. followed the thanksgiving service, the
jousting tournaments, the gun-salvos and the festive music. Grand Square was the stage, a
few hundred young townspeople and students were the actors and the entire population of
Sibiu was the audience.

71

Gustav Seivert, Die Stadt Hermannstadt, Hermannstadt, Steinhausen, 1859.

35

3. The Transylvanian Theatre during the Renaissance and the Baroque Periods.
All the formal ceremonies and performances prompted by the major events, which were
held at the Princely Court, at the aristocratic residences or in the communities of the
Saxon burghs, are also part of the early history of the theatre. These formal events were
magnificent in their display of rich and colourful garments and they were in such a way
coordinated and staged so as to emphasize both the effect of the whole and the
contribution of each element, ranging from placement of the individuals and of the
groups to decoration, to visual and sound effects and to inclusion in the programme of
jousting tournaments, contests and entertainment with clowns, jugglers, actors, mimes,
carnival games, and the so-called living statues. This theatricality was mainly specific
to the Baroque, which had a penchant for the spectacular, the breathtaking and the
flamboyant, as well as a formidable taste for antithesis and for powerful and dramatic,
even exacerbated contrasts.
In the 16th and the 17th centuries, the official representation and display of power
was part of the social practice of the dominant class and Transylvania was no exception
in this respect. One of the moments that were most exploited were the weddings
organized at Princely Courts. Such dramatic representations were, of course, also
characteristic of the Saxon patricians in Transylvania.
All researchers agree that the institutionalization of the Transylvanian school
theatre, mainly in the German-speaking milieu, was achieved only after the publication of
the famous 1543 school regulations Constitutio Scholae Coronenesis prepared by
Johannes Honterus (enlarged and reprinted in 1657) and approved by the Braov
Magistrate. According to the regulations, Honterus school was an autonomous
institution that prepared its students for integration in public life after graduation. 72
Honterus Constitutio Scholae stipulated that the school was required to organize
cultural events whose immediate result was to draw together the institution and the
community. These manifestations included the organization, twice a year, of events that
included theatrical performances in which all the pupils had to participate and to which
the Town Council was compelled to attend. It was an opportunity for the pupils to
72

Gernot Nussbcher, Johannes Honterus, Viaa i opera sa n imagini, translation by Mircea

Cornescu, Kriterion Publishing House, Bucharest, 1977, p. 27.

36

practice their Latin, but it had to be at the same time, a way of promoting casual
behaviour in society.
This rather bold program, which had been initiated in Transylvania more than half
a century after the advent of school theatre in Germany, was preserved in the Saxon
grammar schools until the early 18th century, when, on the one hand, it started being
challenged by the Jesuit plays and, on the other hand, it was undermined from within the
very Lutheran Church, in the sense that it was put into difficulty by the ever increasing
pietistic spirit in Transylvania. Among the theatrical performances staged in Braov,
Krasser identifies a series of Elizabethan plays, which had arrived there via the German
channel (Annabella and the King of Ferrara after John Marstons Parasitaster of the
Fawn, presented in 1617, and Titus Andronicus, 1677, the first Shakespearean drama
staged in Romania), and a few dramas that that were being played in Silesia or in Austria.
Krasser draws the conclusion that the school theatre who had by far surpassed its
premise, managed via the texts and the performance to pave the way to the unbridled
passions of the Baroque tragedy.73
However, not all the plays performed by the pupils had been taken over or had
been adapted after western plays. In a contemporary work, mention is made of a play that
that pupils of Dr. Pankratius, rector at Sibiu and future superintendent, presented in the
assembly room of the Town Hall on the wedding of Agnetha Werder and the son of the
Saxon Comes Andreas Fleischer.74 The play that Dr Pankratius himself had written
presented the wedding of Adam and Eve, the original couple. Although lost, this
allegorical and polemical play managed to trigger the very first theatrical scandal of
Sibiu.75 Many important guests left the room irritated, first the Unitarian Magyar
noblemen, then the Calvinists, followed soon by the Roman-Catholics, so that only the
Lutheran spectators were left in the end.
The Jesuit theatre, generically known as the Jesuit drama, represents the
Catholic drama in Latin, which was mainly nurtured by the Jesuit schools of the 16 th and
17th century. In addition to education, which was the primary goal, through their plays the
Jesuits also transmitted moral messages in keeping with the requirements of the age, thus
73

Harald Krasser, Zur Frhgeschichte ...., op. cit., p. 125.

Emil Sigerus, Vom alten Hermannstadt, Nachdruck der Ausgabe Hermannstadt, 1922, Johannis
Reeg-Verlag, Heilbronn, 2003.
75
Harald Krasser, Die Schulbhne, in Hermanstdter Zeitung, 15.10.1979, p.6.
74

37

contributing to the dissemination of their own political and religious ideas. However,
when Transylvania came under Austrian rule, the performances staged by the
representatives of the official cult of the new Roman-Catholic masters followed the same
line of thought. Part of a vast project of the Counter-Reformation, the Jesuit schools in
Transylvania returned in force and in the plays performed by their pupils (generally the
sons of Magyar noblemen but also Saxons who had returned to Catholicism 76), they
revived the medieval mysteries first published in Germany the second half of the 16 th
century. Their directors did not refrain from using all the devices of the secular theatre,
such as stage set, costumes, equipment, ballet, music, thus managing to stage
performances conceived to please the eye and tickle the senses. 77 The performances
were crammed with musical effects and moments of ballet, and employed hundreds of
stage performers. The audience was literally bombarded with pyrotechnical effects,
with a vast and rich scenography, with explosions and clever thunder-and-lightening
effects, with fire-spitting dragons, with flying angels and with characters dramatically
devoured by the fires of Hell. The spectators themselves were often directly involved in
the performance, and the emotional appearance of the onlooker was stimulated to a
maximum by the well-marked interactive character of the show. The performances were
sometimes so flabbergasting and emotionally powerful, that the reconversion of some of
the spectators to the true faith for the Catholic Church was formally are certified. It
can, therefore, be inferred that the emotional illusionism of the theatre, the extremely
aggressive propaganda of the Jesuits through their plays, so strongly focused on the
visual component, worked, at least in some cases, more efficiently than the line of
reasoning. That is why we can say that this type of theatrical propaganda was, if not
invented by the Jesuits, at least used consistently on a large scale and, then after many
centuries, it was very carefully speculated and developed by totalitarian regimes of the
20th century Europe. Even nowadays, this type of offensive theatricality, almost
fundamentally visual, is often used by the media and by the advertising and entertainment
industry.
76

It is known that the Saxons reconversion to Roman-Catholicism was not a mass phenomenon, the
way the Habsburg authorities had wished it to be by encouraging certain rights if the Saxons returned to
Catholicism. The patricians and the members of upper middle class were those who mainly resorted to this
method to obtain, of course, economic and political advantages.
77
Eugen Filtsch, Geschichte, op. cit., p. 134.

38

Once the dramatic activity of the Jesuit Order in Transylvania has been reviewed,
for the very first time ever, the thesis analyses in detail a collection of Jesuit plays, which
it is presumed to have been staged in Sibiu in first half of the century 18 th century. The
collection is currently preserved under the name Dramata varia saeculi decimi octavi
in the Batthyaneum Library of Alba Iulia and comprises includes nine coligat-plays.

4. The German Theatre in Sibiu during the Enlightenment.

As it is said with good reason, the 18th century is a period of enlightenment; not a time
when people were well informed, but rather a time when the most progressive were doing
their utmost to enlighten their contemporaries. Once the great influencing force of the
word, be it spoken or written, was ascertained, it was put into service in order to
disseminate the doctrine of the enlightened absolutism and to educate the subjects as the
monarchy saw fit. Next to the school, the church and the printing press, the theatre is
considered to be a useful tool in this respect. It is then but natural that the latters
educational potential should have been soon intuited and exploited, depending on what
role the society gave it at a certain moment in history. The theatre was meant to be a
means of education of the nation ad it was the more needed, the better it fitted the system
of the new wisdom of the state pedagogy, which had in mind to keep alive a certain type
of idealism, the patriotic spirit, the allegiance to the throne, and the enthusiasm for the
dynasty. However, the awareness of the force of the written word also had a negative
connotation, as the authorities admitted the undesirable influence that the word could
have and, therefore, they sometimes imposed a ruthless censorship. The spoken word,
namely the theatre, enjoyed a different status.
The historians of the German theatre in Transylvania underline the fact that the
inclusion of this province into the Habsburg Empire, along with the German-speaking
cultural space, amplified the evolution of theatrical performances in this geographic
region. The dissemination of the ideas of the Enlightenment and of the German culture,
supported by the Imperial Court in Vienna, becomes a constant concern after 1692, when
Sibiu is designated Capital of the Principality and residence of the Governor and of other

39

central institutions. In time, this process is amplified and turns into state policy, meant to
attenuate the resistance of the century-old Saxon communities to the centralizing and
authoritarian tendencies of the Austrian Empire. Hence, the German theatre in
Transylvania is not a local phenomenon, produced spontaneously by the autochthonous
spirituality, but an import, a kind of interface for the negotiation of power between the
suzerain nation and the occupied one.
This process is easily noticeable in the evolution of the Sibiu theatre, too. The
transition from improvised performances to those of professional travelling companies
occurs mainly in the second half of the 18 th century. Though hesitantly received by the
townspeople of Sibiu (the same holds good for Braov and Timioara), obviously under
the powerful influence of the pietistic spirit of the day, and sometimes even obstructed by
the local authorities, the imperial officials supported these performances. 78 Mention must
be made that the support of such institutions was the more consistent, the more their
employees represented the spectators who contributed to the artists livelihood. Among
them were the Imperial military and civil officers, the staff of the administrative and
financial institutions, the garrison officers who had all been educated in Vienna and who
imposed their artistic standards and tastes upon the Sibiu public.
The theatre in its most diverse forms and depending on the age, be it the medieval
mysteries, the occasional performances for the nobility or the Jesuit dramas, has existed
in Sibiu ever since the Renaissance. However, the professional actor exclusively
dedicated to his craft appeared as member of the travelling shows only about the mid-18 th
century. On their travels across Europe they would also come to Sibiu. If initially he
mainly appeared as Hanswurst the German counterpart of the Italian Arlecchino
he would soon be banished from the stage, especially in the German space, Sibiu
included.79

78

An eloquent example in this respect is that of Gertraut Bodenburgs company. In 1762, the actress
had to ask Count Kemny, the Governor of Transylvania, and then later, in 1766, Count Andreas Hadik,
Commander General, for support in order to obtain the necessary locations for her performances.
79
Gottsched even wrote a play in which Hanswurst was literally driven off the stage after having
been awfully mocked at. This was triggered and encouraged by Gottscheds meeting with Caroline Neuber
who started a campaign against the vulgar, boisterous fair shows and pleaded for a serious, coherent
dramaturgy that uses an elevated language. Neuber and Lessing, who himself had for some time been an
active member of her company, set the practical and theoretical bases of the German national theatre.

40

Next, the dissertation focuses on some remarkable personalities of the second half
of the 18th century and their contributions to the development of the theatre in Sibiu, such
as Gertraut Bodenburg, Josef Hlverding and Christoph Ludwig Seipp. We also present
at large Martin Hochmeisters activity who, in 1778, published the first weekly paper on
drama in southeastern Europe. He was not only important for his editorials but also for
the building in 1788 of the very first theatre in Romania, thus offering the Sibiu public
the opportunity to attend performances regularly.
Martin Hochmeister, the editor of the weekly journal Theatral Wochenblatt, is
the quintessential Enlightenment scholar. The publication of the first Transylvanian
periodicals is linked to the same man, who turns out to be not only a successful printer
but also a cultural promoter, an entrepreneur with a special gift for business, an authority
in terms of the spirit of the epoch, to which he knew how to adapt profitably. 80 For
decades, Hochmeister runs his own printing house and produces a multitude of books,
many even in Romanian, such as Ahilefs la Skiro, fapta lui Kir Metastazie
kesaricescului poet, tlmcit de pe grecie de ctre dumnealui Iordache Sltineanu, Vel
Pharnic n Bucuretii Trii Rumuneti [Ahilefs la Skiro, the deed of Sir Metastasis,
royal poet, translated from Greek by Iordache Sltineanu,Great Cup-bearer in
Bucharest, Wallachia], the first Romanian edition of a dramatic text (1797). In 1778 he
opens the first bookshop, then builds the first regular theatre in the country in 1788,
launches the first Transylvanian newspapers in German (Siebenbrger Zeitung 1784)
and in Hungarian (Az Erdelyi Magyar Hirlap 1790) and publishes, though ephemerally,
the first journal in Romanian (Foaia romneasc pentru popor 1791).
Though very short-lived (12 numbers between June 1 August 12, 1778), the
Theatral Wochenblatt was a very ambitious plan of its editors to educate and to
emancipate the Sibiu public to embrace a highly aesthetic type of theatre performance. It
was published by Lieder (prompter), Scheidhauer (actor), and Joseph Hlverding
(manager), all members of the Hlverding Company and was open to the public
encouraging it to express any critical opinion in its pages. Yet, because of the publics
reluctance to do so, the publication was suspended. The editors goals were explicit and in
keeping with the artistic canons of the day: fine, high-quality theatrical events, rejection
80

Liliana Popa, Oameni i cri n Sibiul de altdat. Tipografi i tiparnie, bibliofili i biblioteci,
librari i librrii n mrturii documentare, Schiller Publishing House, Sibiu/Bonn, 2010, p. 71.

41

of shallow forms of entertainment and of coarse shows improvised by travelling

companies. Moreover, the authors tried to draw the publics attention to the best plays,
the best German and international playwrights, and to cultivate the spectators artistic
taste. The theatre was to be a national cultural and educational institution and a forum of
ideas. In its brief existence, the journal tried to find the reasons for which real art could
not assert itself, the main cause being the publics exaggerated attraction for the farce, as
well as its low cultural level. On the other hand, it also tried to fight against biased
opinions regarding the theatre and to highlight its moral and educational values.
Deploring the actors modest professional training due to the lack of acting schools, the
journal pleaded for their urgent establishment and for the role of criticism, which was not
meant to hurt feelings but rather combat preconceived ideas and support the progress of
dramatic art.
The strong points of the journal were its precise form and the fervently defended
ideas of the Enlightenment. However, since its last three numbers displayed a certain
incipient subjectivism, it is no wonder that the narrative text took after Laurence Sternes
style of writing. Having been published in times of transition (the German-speaking
travelling theatre arrived in Transylvania at a time when in Germany and Austria it had
already been replaced by the professional, communal theatres which performed valuable
plays), the journal militated in favour of the natural theatre and for the staging of highquality plays. However, the Sibiu public apparently did not manage to live up to the
authors expectations. On the one hand, the Theatral Wochenblatt supported the
systematic prerogatives of the Enlightenment and, on the other hand, it opened itself to
the ideas of the Sturm und Drang, in other words, it laid emphasis on the emotional
side of an unbounded subjectivism. Finally yet importantly, the journal pleaded for a
German national and an international repertoire, for a rich and diversified European
culture. Despite inequities and a brief life, the Transylvanian journal was a highlight in
the history of our theatre and, in our opinion, in the universal historiography of this art.

5. The Evolution of the Sibiu German Theatrical Performance between the Building of
the Theatre and the End of World War I

42

The theater in The Thick Tower opened under the management of Christoph Ludwig
Seipp in these circumstances.81 With his company, initially composed of ten actors, six
actresses, a prompter, a scenographer, a cashier, two ticket collectors plus an orchestra
consisting of thirteen instrumentalists,82 Seipp83 played between 1788-1790, according to
Bielzs History, 144 plays (among which Lessings Minna von Barnhelm, Molires
Tartuffe an The Miser, Goethes Clavigo, Schillers The Robbers and Intrigue and Love
and Shakespeares Hamlet and Henry V), five operas, fifteen vaudevilles and a musical
comedy, all in all a rich, varied and valuable repertoire. The performances generally took
place four times a week, usually on Saturdays, on Sundays, on Tuesdays and on
Thursdays.84
Unfortunately, Seipp was the manager of the theatre only until the end of 1790,
when, after having been on tour to Vienna, he left for Bucharest invited by the Prince of
Coburg, where he performed along with a Braov theatre company for two months. These
were the first performances in German staged in Bucharest.85 The favourable
circumstance under which Seipp started his performances in Sibiu were short-lived. The
state of war that occurred in Wallachia and the relocation of the Transylvanian High
Administration from Sibiu to Cluj exerted a substantial negative impact on the Sibiu
theatre. At the end of 1790, Seipp left Sibiu for Vienna to found his last company. He
died unexpectedly in 1793.
J. Ch. Kuntz (1791-1792), Franz Xaver Felder (1994-1796), Franz Xaver Rnner
(1797-1801), Franz Seicher (1802-1803), Constantin Parascovitz (1804-1806), Ludwig
Bladl (1806-1808) were the managers of the Sibiu theatre who followed Seipp. In those
days, Sibiu offered performances only during the summer season (in winter the plays
81

Seipp was famous for being the most competent on theatre matters in Sibiu in those days. In
bersicht ber die neueste Literatur (Siebenbrgische Quartalschrift, vol I, 1790, p. 103) Daniel
Neugeboren lists all the plays performed before the Sibiu public over the past few years, adding brief
comments like: Hier theilen wir noch den Liebhabern des Theaters einen Auszug mit, aus der uns von
dem kompetentesten Richter der dramatischen Poesie, Herrn Seipp, mitgetheilten Nachricht von den
neuesten Produkten desselben. [Hereby, we inform all our theatre lovers about an excerpt of the latest
productions staged by Mr. Seipp, the most competent judge of dramatic poetry.] Seipp lists 69 plays, 17 of
which having been played in Sibiu at least once. Three of them were performed several times.
82
Bielz, op. cit., p.3.
83
See annex B10.
84
Bielz, op. cit., p.4.
85
See Dimiu, op. cit., p.41.

43

were performed in Timioara, because the theatre in Sibiu lacked a heating system).
Anyway, this entire period was marked by a series of major events regarding the public
and the repertoire. The relocation of the government from Sibiu to Cluj diminished Sibiu
s political and cultural role, and the theatre loses the best, and the most devoted segment
of its public.86 Hence, the quality of the repertoire lessened inevitably.
At the same time, the repertoire was also influenced by the official conservative
policy, by means of which the Imperial Court in Vienna was trying to prevent the everincreasing dissemination of revolutionary ideas in Europe. The repertoire of the German
theatres in Transylvania vacillated between the classical drama of Shakespeare, Lessing,
Goethe and Schiller and the mediocre sentimental plays of Kotzebue, 87 Iffland,88 and their
Austrian contemporaries, who were gaining ground at the expense of the high-quality
classical theatre.89
These were the circumstances, under which the Sibiu theatre unfolded its activity
in order to avoid the stick-and-carrot policy of censorship and please the public,
represented mainly by the local middle class whose taste was rather conservative. We
have to admit that it was not easy at all for any company manager who tried to run the
Martin Hochmeisters theatre and survive while being caught between the abovementioned constraints and the local customs and vanities. Though momentarily praised
and cheered by the haughty civil servant or the greedy middle-class businessman, the
man of the theatre would still be considered a kind of comedian.
After having outlined the activity of the Sibiu theatre in the 19th century, we shall
highlight some significant aspects that left their imprint on the theatre life of the same
period. At first, the repertoire is strongly influenced by Vienna, but towards the turn of
the century the influence of the Berlin stage takes over, a tendency that will be
emphasized at the beginning of the 20th century. Actors from Sibiu (Agatha Brsescu)
performed on stages in Germany and German guest-stars often acted on the Sibiu stage.
Many company managers from Sibiu were eager to initiate partnerships with fellow
companies in German-speaking towns, mainly Timioara, Braov and Arad. In the second
half of the 19th century, a national Saxon dramaturgy developed around the theatre in
86
87
88
89

Istoria I, p. 194.
August von Kotzebue (1761 Weimar 1819 Mannheim), German writer.
August Wilhelm Iffland (1759 Hannover 1814 Berlin), German actor, manager and playwright.
See annex B11.

44

Sibiu (Traugott Teutsch, Michael Albert, Friedrich Wilhelm Schuster); the musical
comedy also started to play an increasing role in the repertoire. Among the successful
managers of the Sibiu theatre worth mentioning is Eduard Reiman (1864-1868) who also
worked for the Theatres in Krakow, Lvov, Saint Petersburg, Riga, Weimar, Frankfurt and
Hamburg. Another significant manager of the local theatre was Leo Bauer (1893-1921), a
Bavarian director who staged plays by Ibsen, Sudermann, Hauptmann and Schnitzler,
chief representatives of the avant-garde. Despite the aggressive Magyarization policy of
the Dual Monarchy, Leo Bauer managed to save the existence of the Sibiu theatre, which
remained the only German-speaking theatre in southeastern Europe, at a time when the
German theatres in Buda and Timioara were dissolved. The tours of many Berlin
companies (Lessingtheater) also stand as proof for the international importance of the
Sibiu theatre in the Leo Bauer era.
During the 19th century and the early 20th century, the amateur theatre developed
along with the professional one. The cultural societies flourished also, contributing
significantly to the general development of the cultural life of Sibiu and particularly to
that of the theatre. A good example in this respect is Otto Devrients Lutherspiel, a
grandiose performance organized by the Association of Lutheran Women in 1888. The
performance was meant to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Martin Luthers birth.
Moreover, the Musical Society of Sibiu staged the very first performance in the
Romanian space of Richard Wagners Tannhuser.

6. The German Theatre in Sibiu after World War I and until the Founding of the
Landestheater.
Once Transylvania entered under Romanian jurisdiction, the German minority continued
to lose its rights to self-determination. Although the Germans were entitled to a
representative on governmental level in the person of Richard Csaki, who after the setting
up of the German Cultural League took decisive steps to concert all efforts towards the
self-determination of the German ethnic groups in the newly-founded state, we must

45

accept that, unfortunately, the new regime affected even more the rights and the freedoms
of the minority, most visibly in the first decade after the First World War. On political,
economic and cultural level we may say that the Great Union, to use the term
introduced by the exaggeratedly celebratory Romanian historiography was rather a
great disappointment for the German population of this part of the world, and briefly
joyful escape from Hungarian nationalism during the Habsburg Empire was replaced by a
period of a more accentuated loss of certain fundamental rights. Many measures, which
could easily be labeled as really useless and absurd, like the one of prohibiting foreign
nationals to spend more than two weeks in Romania, unfortunately harmed the cultural
activity of the Romanian Germans, so much dependent on the collaboration with the
Germans abroad.
Thus, in 1921, barely three years after the end of the Great War, Leo Bauers
Company, which within almost thirty years had managed to consolidate in Sibiu,
dissipated rapidly under the new unfavourable socio-political circumstances. The
initiatives of bringing some new theatre companies to Sibiu to work in the local theatre
building, like Wilhelm Popps or that of the Viennese comedian Willie Stadler, were
quickly doomed to fail, despite having been supported by cultural journals (Die Bhne),
whose chief editorialists were the valuable and dedicated Otto Fritz Jickeli-father and
son. Under these circumstances, the association Deutscher Theaterverein,90 created in
1919 by the fusion of various theatrical associations, strove to maintain the publics
interest in the theater by staging successful performances, ranging from classical drama,
to shows for children, farces and insignificant comedies. The Theatre Association of
Sibiu under the management of Anton Maly, Manna Copony and Nicolae Boil staged
over 70 plays between 1919-1927 that were watched by over 45,000 spectators. During
the existence of the professional theater, actors like Kurt Wonger, Fritz Eitel, Anton Evil
and Manna Copony contributed to the successful development of the amateur theater.
The activity of the amateur theater was guided by The Cultural Association of the
Germans in Greater Romania, run by Richard Csaki. The association supported the
organization of certain companies from the German space (Germany, Austria), the
publication of the journal Ostland (1926-1931), and founded in 1924 a library for
90

*** Rckblick ber die bisherigen Auffhrungen des deutschen Theatervereins, in Bltter des
Deutschen Theatervereins in Hermannstadt, Nr. 1, May 1927, pp.2-3.

46

amateur theatre companies.91 The publication of the theatrical journal Bltter des
Deutschen Theatervereins in Hermannstadt, was resumed in 1927, but only two numbers
appeared, both during the month of May. However, all these initiatives were doomed to
fail because they lacked neither the perspective nor the premises to live up to the level of
the interbellum cultural ceremonies. There was need for an exceptional concentration of
all efforts to achieve the crystallization of a cultural forum to meet both the needs of the
Sibiu spectators and of the citys theatrical tradition.

7. Deutsches Landestheater in Rumnien (the German Interregional Theatre in Romania)

between 1933-1944
In time, the amateur theatre reduced its activity and the lack of a professional theater was
increasingly felt. Under the new legislation of theatrical activity, solutions were being
sought to found a German professional assembly with domestic players and supported by
financial contribution from the community. Gustav Ongyerth was the one who found the
solution. Owing to his efforts, in the spring of 1933 the Theatergemeinschaft (the
German Theatre Society) was founded whose presidents were Michael Hannerth and
Julius Bielz. The newly founded society had the mission to support the Deutsches
Landestheater Rumnien (the German Interregional Theatre in Romania).
The first domestic professional German company was lead by Gustav Ongyerth,
former impresario in Braov. He was a talented and experienced organizer and drew up a
rigorous schedule of seasons and tours to cover all the German-speaking regions in
Romania. The theatre company was formed mainly of artists from Transylvania, the
Banat and the Bucovina, working all over Europe and who were asked to return to their
homeland in order to contribute to the fulfillment of the project. At first, the activities
imitated those of the provincial German theatres, staging operas, plays and musical
comedies. From September to the end of November, the entire repertoire was staged in
Sibiu, and then the company toured to Braov and to ara Brsei, and from there to
91

Vasile Ciobanu, Contribuii la cunoaterea istoriei sailor transilvneni 1918-1944, Sibiu 2001, p.

397.

47

Timioara and to other major places in the Banat. After the spring season in Sibiu, the
company went on tour to Media, Sighioara, Reghin and Bistria. Between 1933-1944,
annual micro-seasons would also be staged for the Bucharest public. The company also
went on tour to the remotest parts of the kingdom, the Bucovina and Bessarabia, to places
like Cernui, Tarutino, Srata, etc. Julius Bielzs survey for the 1937-1938 season92
shows that the German Theatre in Sibiu performed in 34 locations, travelling a distance
of almost 7,000 km.
Along with the foundation of the theatre, the weekly paper, Theaternachrichten.
Wchentliche Mitteilungen des Deutschen Landestheaters in Rumnien,93 was published.
It was a most valuable source of information regarding the theatres activity.
The inaugural performance of the Landestheater was Schillers Wilhelm Tell94
staged by Gustav Ongyerth on October 29, 1933. It was a complete success, enjoying
favourable reviews from both the critics and the politicians of the day. The Sibiu Theatre
embarked upon an ambitious repertoire, somewhat undermined only by the incomplete
troupe. However, a series of valuable international plays and operas were staged, along
with local productions, such as: Die Pfingstkrone [The Pentecost Crown] composed by
Bertha Bock and Der Gnstling [The Protg], an opera by Rudolf Wagner-Regny, and
Franz Karl Franchys play Der junge Wolf [The Young Wolf]. The German audience was
also given the opportunity to watch some Romanian plays, like Lucian Blagas 95 Meterul
Manole [Manole the Craftsman], V. I. Popas Mucata din fereastr [The Geranium on
the Window Sill], Ion Sngeorgius Eroul zilei [The Hero of the Day]96 and Mamzel
Sevastia [Miss Sevastia] and Tudor Muatescus Titanic vals [Titanic Walz].97 The
repertoire also included a few cheap plays, addressed to the larger public and meant to
improve the theatres finances. From the international repertoire, worth mentioning are
the following plays: Gogols The Inspector-General,98 staged by Nicolae Nastasi,
Hermann Bahrs The Concert, staged by Manna Copony to celebrate the 70 th anniversary

92
93
94
95
96
97
98

See annex B26.

See annex B26.
See annex B27.
See annex B28.
See annex B29.
See annex B29.
See annex B29.

48

of the German expressionist playwright, and Friedrich Grieses The Man Who Was
Molded From Dust,99 a play that was already impregnated by exacerbated nationalism.
In addition, to be mentioned is the managements initiative to take the
performances outside the traditional space. An open-air stage 100 was built in Germany in
1935. After the Nazis came to power in Germany, a new theatrical genre, the
Thingspiel [the thingplay] was adopted. The term thing was derived from Old
Frisian, respectively Old Saxon, and referred to a popular tribunal or a popular gathering.
The Thingspiel was conceived as a total artwork, highly propagandistic, cultic and
national. However, the interest in this direction dwindled and this genre was completely
abandoned in 1937 as its educational impact was not the expected one, there was an acute
lack of such plays and they were financially and technically very costly. The stage in the
Sub arini park was not a genuine Thingsttte, yet, its source of inspiration was
irrefutable. Wagner-Regnys opera The Protg (Gustav Ongyerth stage director and
Karl Egon Glckselig musical director) inaugurated what the press called
Naturtheater, that is open-air theatre.
In 1936, the Theaternachrichten ceased to appear, but the daily newspaper
Siebenbrgisch-Deutsches Tageblatt went on publishing theatre chronicles. Important
facts on the programmes of the Landestheater can be found in the theatre notebooks
entitled Bhnenbltter and in the calendar that this institution issued.
The finances were a constant concern for the theatre management and for the
actors whose work was exhausting. By the end of 1938, the financial problems became
indeed critical. During the preparations for the 150th anniversary of the theatre building,
the police suspended the autumn season due to fire risk. The municipality paid for the
repair works that extended until early 1939. The theaters very existence was endangered
by a series of difficulties, such as the lack of performances, the publics discontent
regarding the small number of spectators in Timioara resulting from the tours of the
Landestheater, and the interdiction to perform during the Christmas Season.101

99

See annex B29.

See annex B30.
101
*** Deutsches Landestheater in Rumnien eingestellt!, in Mnchener Zeitung, Jan. 5, 1939;
*** Das Deutsche Landestheater in Rumnien eingestellt, in Westdeutscher Beobachter, Jan. 4, 1939; H.
H. E., Jdische Niedertracht gegen deutsche Kultur, in N.S. Landpost, Berlin, Jan. 13, 1939.
100

49

Help came from the tour102 that Ongyerth organized in Germany103 and Austria
during the spring and the summer of 1939 with Richard Oschanitzkys 104 musical comedy
on Saxon folk motives, Mdel aus dem Kokeltal.105 In this way, Ongyerth drew the
attention of the German authorities on his theatre, which was located in a region of
political interest for the expansionist circles, 106 and consequently obtained financial
support. Under these circumstances, Ongyerth must have made concessions concerning
the repertoire.
The following seasons witnessed the process of politicization and integration of
the theatre in the revival movement that was going on not only in Germany but also in the
German communities of the diaspora.107 The outbreak of World War II, Romanias
territorial losses after the Vienna Dictate and the emigration of the Germans from
Bessarabia and the Bucovina to the eastern regions of Germany, the loss of a significant
number of actors were all challenges set before the Landestheater, forcing it to rethink its
strategies. The repertoire, thus mirroring the new circumstances, comprised next to
valuable classical plays and easy plays for the large public, a series of works praising
warfare, heroism and German racial supremacy. Almost the entire work of Eberhard
Wolfgang Mller was staged including Das Opfer [The Sacrifice] that openly debates the
question of racial supremacy and the subhuman essence of the non-Germanic peoples.
The support of the Reich also materialized in the collaboration with famous German
artist, as it was the case in 1943, when Paul Wagner, Angela Salloker and Alexander
Golling performed in Faust, which was presented in Sibiu in October 22-24 and in
Bucharest in October 27-29.108
102

See annex B30.

*** Siebenbrger auf Pfalzfahrt begegnen dem Fhrer. Ein Erlebnis von der Fahrt des
Deutschen Landestheaters in Rumnien, in Saarbrcker Zeitung, Aug. 7, 1939;
*** Deutsche Theaterkunst auf Vorposten. Eine HB Unterredung als Vorschau auf das heutige Gastspiel
des Deutschen Landestheaters in Rumnien, in Hakenkreuzbanner Gro-Mannheim June 9, 1939;
*** Das Deutsche Landestheater Rumniens in Wien, in Vlkischer Beobachter, Vienna, June 16, 1939.
104
See annex B32.
105
See annex B32.
106
Heinrich Zillich, Deutsche Bhne in Siebenbrgen. Zur Deutschlandreise des Landestheaters
Hermannstadt, in Mnchner Neueste Nachrichten, Nr. 105, April, 15, 1939; Peter Loth, Lieber Besuch
aus Rumnien. Volksdeutsche Knstler kamen. Ein Singspiel von Oschanitzky Das Mdel aus dem
Kokeltal, in Mnchner Neueste Nachrichten, Nr. 105, April 15, 1939.
103

107
108

See annex B33.

See Sdostdeutsche Tageszeitung, Nr. 246, Oct. 22, 1943, p. 5.

50

If in 1940 the Landestheater lost part of its traditional spectators as result of

Romanias territorial losses, the presence of the German training troops, of the so-called
Lehrtruppen, in the country, lead to a substantial number of new spectators. In it last
years of activity, the Landestheater, as part of the GEG group that demanded full
commitment to Nazi Germanys war effort, extended the area of its tours to include a
series of towns abroad, where there were either German communities or troops of the
Reich. In order to cope with these requirements, the theatre company temporarily split in
two and presented shows in Serbia (Belgrade 109 and Ni), in Croatia (Zagreb/Agram), in
Bosnia (Sarajevo), the Western Banat (Pancevo, Vrac and Becicherecul Mare), in
Bessarabia and in the Ukraine (Odessa).110
During its brief existence, the German professional theater, which was founded in
Sibiu in 1933, managed to grow constantly. Despite the difficulties it ran into, the theatre
managed to be an active presence in the cultural life of the German communities in
Romania. Although the Landestheater lacked notable successes in terms of stage
direction and stage painting, it nevertheless praised classical, traditional manner by
promoting an instructive theater and by being a culture hearth which in 1933-1944
enabled contact with the great values of universal classical dramaturgy. 111 Moreover, it
also promoted domestic dramaturgy by including such plays in the season programmes.
However, this measure did not always manage to raise the quality of the theater. The
unfavourable evolution of the war to Germany led to the dissolution of the theatre
company in the autumn of 1944, after many of its members had left Romania. 112 Even
if the Landestheater had not activated under the tutelage of GEG, the company would not
have been able to continue its activity under the postwar circumstances, simply because it
had served a community, which at the end of the war the Soviet victor had placed among
those who had to pay reparations. The community was convicted in block, its civil rights
were suspended, and its members became the target of abusive deportation, of forced

109

Grete Rottmann, Das Landestheather der Deutschen Volksgruppe in Rumnien, in

Donauzeitung (Belgrad), March 8, 1942, p. 3; Grete Rottmann, Das Landestheather der Deutschen
Volksgruppe in Rumnien, in ibid., Feb. 8, 1943, p. 3 apud Klaus Popa.
110
See in Sdostdeutsche Tageszeitung (SODTZ), Nr. 91, April 20, 1943, p. 7, apud Klaus Popa.
111
Istoria III, p. 134.
112
Ciobanu, op. cit., p. 402.

51

labour and of dispossession of their goods. In those years, the life of the German theater
in Romania seemed finally and irrevocably ended.

8. The German Theatre in Sibiu during the Communist Regime

Once the new authorities were established in Bucharest, the theater, which factually no
longer existed, was legally dissolved; its archives, library and assets were literally
scattered to the four corners of the world and the remaining actors were either deported to
the Soviet Union or ended up in full anonymity. There followed a period in which any
trace of German culture was obliterated. The coup de grace came on February 13, 1949,
when the old Municipal Theater which, in the meantime, was housing the newly
founded Peoples Theatre burned down in still suspicious circumstances. For nearly a
decade, the Sibiu Theatre [the German Theatre, our note] was dead.
After a few enthusiastic persons attempted to revive the Sibiu Theater, the
institutionalized theatre was finally reborn in the form of a Romanian Theatre, a first in
the history of the city. After it changed its name twice between 1946-1948 (The Sibiu
Workers Theatre, respectively, the Sibiu section of The Peoples Theatre), the theater
was eventually called The Sibiu State Theatre, a name that it would bear until 1989.
There had been a few timid attempts of staging performances in German even before
1956. The schools staged classical plays for the students and their parents, as part of the
educational process.113 Little in number, they did not have a special resonance. However,
the puppeteers, who in 1947 were the first to bring back the German language on the
stage, turned out have embarked on a more substantial activity.
Under the auspices of the new Sibiu State Theatre, a German section will be set
up in 1956, renewing thus the tradition German Theater in Sibiu, which was so brutally
interrupted at the end of World War II. The preparations for the setting up of the German
section of The Sibiu State Theatre started in the spring of 1956, after the meeting of the
Braov Regional Committee of the Romanian Workers Party with representatives of the
working people of German nationality. 114 The transient solution consisted in the setting
113
114

Schuschnig, op. cit., p. 146.

Weber, Horst, in Die Woche, Nr. 976, Aug. 29, 1986, p. 5.

52

up by the Cultural Department of the Peoples Council of Sibiu of a team of amateurs

alongside the State Theatre.115 Hans Schuschnig,116 a stage director who had previously
worked with the German section of the Timioara Theatre, was brought to Sibiu to form a
drama group and stage an exam-performance that was going to be present before the
Party decision makers. For tactical reasons, as Schuschnig admitted, Bertolt Brechts play
Mother Courage had been selected for its humanistic, anti-war message, even more to be
appreciated if we think that the main hobbyhorse of official propaganda in those days was
the struggle for peace.
The newly established German section staged its first performance in the Theater
Hall on November 27 and the material conditions were acceptable. Since the 1949 fire
had completely destroyed the Municipal Theatre in The Thick Tower, the building of the
former Apollo Cinema117 was hastily arranged for the new destination.
From its establishment, like any other institution organizing public performances,
the German section of the Theatre was faced with the same problem of making up the
repertoire, which Schuschnig viewed as balance on a narrow foot bridge, between the
artistic and cultural aspirations of the ensemble and the requirements of political
propaganda issued by the local and the central party bodies. 118 It was the age of Stalinist
socialist realism and political patronage was very rigorously exerted. Because they had
breached the Partys ideological line, two of the earlier performances of the German
section (Max Halbes Jugend/Youth and Georg Bchners Woyczeck) were banned. It was
a serious warning that the German ensemble got at the very beginning of its artistic life. 119
The repertoire was in such a way configured in order to meet certain rigorous principles
and to eliminate any possibility of spreading ideas hostile to the system or of presenting
points of view different from the official policy of the time. In time, these criteria partly
115

On April 25, 1956, the local paper Flacra Sibiului announced the setting up of this drama
section, which was going to present its first performance at the end of June.
116
See annex B35.
117
See annex B36.
118
Schuschnig, Hermannstadt, p. 147.
119
It is not the place here to analyze the contribution of each manager of the State Theater to the
making up of the repertoire of the German section. Horia Benea, Nicolae Albani, Serban Diamandi, Eugen
Onu, Nicolae Niculescu, Dan Nasta, Mircea Braga, Ion Buleandr, Pamfil Matei, Ilie Moise, Emilian
Luncau, depending on their capacity and disposition, worked more or less with the heads of the German
section Hans Binder, Hans Schuschnig, Christian Maurer, of course, under the guidance of the party
organization. The activity that Wilhelm Mueller, an excellent organizer and administrator, unfolded as
deputy manager in 1961-1969 was beneficial for the theater, in general and for the German section, in
particular.

53

changed along with the evolution of the party policy. The Soviet criterion, for instance,
was replaced with criteria imposed by Ceauescus national communism, in other
words, with the policy of forming the New Man.
Next to translations of Romanian plays, which were imposed by the Party, many
other plays were performed, such as Thornton Wilders Our Town, Max Frischs Don
Juan or Love for Geometry,120 Martin Walsers War in the Bedroom, Peter Hacks
Amphitrion, and local German playwrights like Otto Fritz Jickeli Gaan von Salzburg and
Bettina Schullers The Frog King, along with Egmont, Don Carlos, Intrigue and Love;121
the last play dominated the repertoire and was performed 300 times over a period of
almost 10 years in two different productions. After 1971, the quota of contemporary
Romanian plays, which the Sibiu Theatre staged, increased. In this respect, worth
mentioning are the plays by Aurel Baranga, Horia Lovinescu, Paul Everac, D. R.
Popescu, Eugen Barbu, Ion Bieu, etc.
The press has always underlined that the fundamental feature of the German
section is that of a company on tour. German language publications have frequently
inserted information about the tours, the locations, the date and the title of the performed
plays. Romanian publications, too, confirm that this institution is an itinerant theatre
company that contributes effectively to the fulfilment of our societys desideratum
according to which cultural values should become public assets.122 The programme
book, which was published on the 25th anniversary of the German section, mentioned
over 250 places in Romania, where the German ensemble performed and where the
applause (...) properly rewarded an exceptionally fine repertoire of representative works
of national and international drama. 123 On the anniversary, the number of premieres
amounted to 152 performances and the audience totaled 1,396,010 spectators. According
to statistics, the most cherished plays were Friedrich Schillerss Intrigue and Love (232
performances and 75,000 spectators), G. E. Lessings Emilia Galotti (151 performances
and 50,000 spectators) and J. W. Goethes Clavigo that was performed before 30,000
120

See annex B38.

See annex B38.
122
Reichrath, Emmerich, Succese ale micrii teatrale romneti. Din preocuprile scenelor de
expresie german din Sibiu i Timioara, in Scnteia, year XIV, Nr. 10.477, April 28, 1976.
121

123

*** Teatrul de Stat Sibiu, Secia german 25, 1956-1981, published by the Committee for
Socialist Culture and Education, p. 2.

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spectators. As to the structure of the repertoire, Romanian dramaturgy and that of the
cohabiting nationalities, representing 41% of the performed plays, held the first place and
it was followed by German classical dramaturgy, representing 21%. The dramaturgy of
the German minority in Romania represented 7.3 %, whereas the rest of the plays
belonged to foreign classical and contemporary dramaturgy. 124
In the last years of the Communist regime, the German section of the Sibiu
Theater was faced with extremely difficult situations. On the one hand, the organization
of tours was vital for survival, on the other hand, the institution was coerced into a policy
of budget cuts, fuel saving and the impossibility of heating during the cold season. All
these were quasi-insurmountable obstacles to achieving that goal. However, in 1986, on
its 40th anniversary, the German section of the Sibiu State Theatre boasted an impressive
activity: 1,598,215 spectators attending 5,658 performances, of which 4,065 staged
outside Sibiu (71.84 %).125 By the end of 1989, the German actors of Sibiu had performed
in 254 places. The most frequently visited towns had been Media (207 times), Braov
(180), Sighioara (147), Agnita (133), Cisndie (130) and Timioara (127 times).
The theatre journal Thespiskarren appeared during the eighth and the ninth
decades of the past century at the initiative Franz Csiky (literary secretary) who in 1978
had left the German State Theatre in Timisoara for the German section of the Sibiu State
Theatre. The fundamental idea was that what was usually published in play portfolio (the
authors biography, the stage-managers view, various articles on the authors work, etc.)
was not enough to initiate education bent on drama, which, in turn, should then guarantee
the spectators genuine and long time preoccupation with this kind of art. A succinct
analysis of the installments published under Franz Csikys editorial management
demonstrates the wide range of topics tackled. At the very centre stands the interest in the
history of the Sibiu Theater, particularly in the professional German-speaking theatre
over the centuries. The articles in question are not only a chronological review of the
events, but also a diachronic grouping of the information around the discussed topic,
making sometimes extremely interesting comparisons with the European theatrical
movement of the examined epochs.
124

Franz Csiky, Theaterjubilum in der Zibinsstadt. Fnfundzwanzig Jahre in der Statistik, in

Neuer Weg, Saturday, Nov. 21, 1981, pp. 3-4.
125
Horst Fassel, Martin Rill, exhibition portfolio 425 Jahre deutsches Theater in Hermannstadt, 50
Jahre DASS, p. 9.

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Beginning with April 1, 1984, the state subsidy became smaller than the social
insurance and the taxes, which the institution had to pay to the state. 126 In such
circumstances, the theater faced a capital difficulty, i.e. to survive taking extreme,
sometimes palliative measures.127 This is the way, in which the journalist Wolfgang
Wittstock (literary secretary in 1983-1986) reports the above-mentioned things from
within the German section of the theatre: There was less and less money at hand and the
payment of the wages became sometimes insurmountable; people usually did not get the
whole salary and, at one time, it was reduced to 35%. A depressive atmosphere took hold
of the theater, which led to tensions; older disputes and conflicts were revived and
amplified, until they frequently exteriorized. The result was that almost every member of
the assembly tried to find their way of the chaos, that many members of either section left
the theater, some at their own initiative, others being fired. The general feeling was that at
least the German section was inexorably facing the end.
Although the 1960s and 1970s represented the artistic climax and the maturity of
the German section, a time when the ensemble collaborated with famous domestic and
foreign stage directors and scenographers, at the turn of the seventh decade a series of
hardships evolved such as: lack of change of generation, a constant decrease of audience
due to the accelerated emigration to the West, a certain isolation and frustration among
the actors as a result of insufficient communication with the other theatrical institutions in
the country.128
The period 1980-1989 represented the decay, slow at first and then more and
more accelerated, of the German ensemble of the Sibiu Theater until its quasi-dissolution
in 1990. It was marked by numerous departures and by less and less successful attempts
to fill in the gaps.
The brutal break with the past after the fall of the totalitarian regime, the massive
emigration of the ethnic Germans, the departure of most of the actors and of the staff of
the German section, along with their spectators in Transylvania and the Banat, seemed to
bring about the dissolution of the German theatre in Sibiu, as it had also been the case in
126

Wittstock, Wolfgang, Requiem zum Geburtstag, in Neuer Weg, Nov. 29, 1991, p. 6.
For example, all porters were dismissed and replaced by the administrative staff taking turns.
128
Elke Sigerus, Die Kondition des Schauspielers. Glanz im Rampenlicht und hartnckige Arbeit.
Rundtischgesprch mit Schauspielern der deutschen Abteilung des Staatstheaters Sibiu, in Die Woche, Nr.
241, Aug 4, 1972, pp. 6-7.
127

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1944. However, the skeptic predictions did not come true, because in the spring of 1990
the German section was restored by Horaiu Mihaiu, architect and the new head of the
section.
Along with other cultural institutions, the German section of the Sibiu Theatre
contributed to the preservation of the German spirit and influenced the development of
the German literary language. The German theater, like the entire professional theatrical
movement in Romania, also played a cathartic role during the last years of the communist
dictatorship, discharging the accumulated tensions by denouncing some of the regimes
shortcomings, which was an attitude that both the Party and the State tolerated.

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