Salzburg City Theatre has been a home for performing arts long before Mozart. Today its programme ranges from opera to operetta and from ballet to drama.
History: Theater and comedies were already flourishing during the Baroque era, yet the town had no public theater for the longest time. The court theater, whose performances were attended by the archbishop, was housed in the Residenz. Performances were also staged at the university, the town hall and in various restaurants.
The situation changed in 1772 when Archbishop Hieronymus von Colloredo ascended the throne. He was fully commited to the spirit of enlightenment and intended to radically change the theater in Salzburg. Hieronymus considered the theater an educational and instructive forum which was to be made available to a wide circle. In spite of all efforts the old ballrooms on Makart Square were not adapted for performances until 1775. After renovations the theater resembled more of a grainery than a house of the arts. The building on Makart Square was modified two more times, from 1787 to 1791 and in 1892 to give it its present appearance.
