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Bau auf! Bau ab!

Theatre spectacle at the Palace of the Republic

At the site of prestigious architecture in the historic centre of Berlin, a second, almost completely blurred trace leads back into recent history alongside the widely visible reconstructed façade of the Berlin Palace: it is the short history of the Palace of the Republic, which lasted from the laying of the foundation stone in 1973 until the demolition of the building in 2008.
The approximately 30 years of the GDR prestige building’s existence are at the centre of a theatrical journey through time in which the history of the “Palace for the People” comes to life. The theatre play BAU AUF! BAU AB! thematises its significance as a cultural, political and identity-forming place.
100 Berliners bring the Palast der Republik back to life at its historic location. A citizens’ choir, contemporary witnesses and choirs in cooperation with the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts and the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music resurrect the building in a sensual theatre happening and vividly bear witness to the traces that this vanished place has left behind.

Premiere: 17. Mai 2024
Further performances: 18., 20., 22., 23., 24., 31. Mai 2024

 
Behind the scene. Director rehearses a play with the actors according to the script
Regisseur probt ein Stück mit Schauspieler*innen nach dem Drehbuch
© iStockphoto / guruXOOX

Players wanted for theatre spectacle at the Humboldt Forum

We’re looking for participants for the participative theatre piece ‘BAU AUF! BAU AB!’ on the Palace of the Republic. Do you have a personal connection to the palace? Were you involved in the Humboldt Forum’s construction? Do you simply enjoy theatre? You’re at the right place!

Register for our information session and casting on 31 January 2024 from 6 to 9 pm. You can join one of the two groups or take part in both. Details here (in German)

‘BAU AUF! BAU AB!’ addresses the Palace of the Republic as a cultural, political and identity-forming place. In May 2024, 100 Berliners will bring the Palace of the Republic back to life at its historic location. A local choir, contemporary witnesses and choirs in cooperation with the Hochschule für Schauspielkunst Ernst Busch und Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler will resurrect the building in a theatrical event, bearing witness to the traces that this lost place has left behind.