Theater Freiburg and other Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany Things to Do Tips

1. Theater Freiburg

by Nemorino , 2 more photos

Like many other city theaters in Germany, this one was founded at the beginning of the twentieth century. The building was inaugurated in 1910. It was badly damaged by bombs during the Second World War, but was re-built afterwards in more or less its original form.

Second photo: The large hall is used for operas and for larger drama productions. There are also three smaller halls for other performances.

Third photo: The orchestra tuning up for a performance of Massenet's Werther.

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Phone: 761.201-2853
Address: Bertoldstraße 46, 79098 Freiburg
Website: http://www.theater.freiburg.de/

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Things To Do: Winterer Foyer

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Written by Nemorino

on Apr 12, 2007

1. Winterer Foyer

by Nemorino , 1 more photos

Half an hour before each opera performance, one of the dramaturges gives a brief introductory talk here in the Winterer Foyer, at the level of the first balcony in the Theater Freiburg.

Second photo: Above the Winterer Foyer, at the level of the second balcony.

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Phone: 761.201-2853
Address: Bertoldstraße 46, 79098 Freiburg
Website: http://www.theater.freiburg.de/

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Things To Do: Ecology versus Culture?

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Written by Nemorino

on Apr 12, 2007

1. Banner on the theater facade

by Nemorino , 2 more photos

These banners on the front of the theater are all quotations from a resolution passed by the Freiburg City Assembly on January 30, 2007, asserting that Freiburg understands itself as a cultural city and intends to further develop itself as a city of the arts.

The reason for displaying these quotations is that a mere two months later the city council has proposed drastic budget cuts for all cultural institutions in Freiburg, including all the museums and the theater.

At the end of the performance of Massenet's Werther, the baritone Matthias Flohr interrupted the final applause to read out a statement urging people to sign a petition opposing these budget cuts, which many audience members did on the way out.

Freiburg is so far the only large German city to have elected a member of the Green Party as its mayor. Without going into the details of local politics, I think it would be fair to say that having a Green mayor is highly beneficial for the central issues of city planning, transportation policy, pollution control, ecology and regenerative energy use -- but apparently not so beneficial for the city's embattled cultural institutions.

Second photo: Another quotation, affirming the need for motivating conditions for the arts and artists.

Third photo: A third quotation, in which the City of Freiburg commits itself to preserving its central cultural achievements, offerings and institutions.

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Phone: 761.201-2853
Address: Bertoldstraße 46, 79098 Freiburg
Website: http://www.theater.freiburg.de/

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Things To Do: Rathausplatz

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Written by Nemorino

on Apr 12, 2007

1. City Hall Square on a holiday

afternoon

by Nemorino , 3 more photos

Freiburg has an attractive Old Town -- actually a partial reconstruction of the old city center that was destroyed during the Second World War -- centered on the Rathausplatz or City Hall Square.

Second photo: The City Hall in the morning.

Third photo: The City Hall at night.

Fourth photo: Some of the streets and squares in the Old Town still (or again) have little gullies full of clear running water diverted from the Dreisam River. These gullies, known locally as Bächle or little brooks, were used in the Middle Ages for the horses to drink out of, and as a source of water for fighting fires. Nowadays they are mainly for decoration and help provide a pleasant micro-climate during the summer. Local tradition has it that if you step into one of these Bächle by mistake you are destined to stay in Freiburg and marry someone from here.

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Things To Do: Albert Ludwigs University

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Written by Nemorino

on Apr 12, 2007

1. Building KG I at the university

by Nemorino , 4 more photos

The university was founded in 1457, and today has more than 22,000 students, including over 3,000 from foreign countries. The liberal arts faculties are still in the city center.

The building in the photo, known as KG I, has a strange motto engraved across the top of the façade: Dem ewigen Deutschtum, "To the eternal Germanness". This slogan, which sounds as ridiculous in German as it does in English translation, was added during the Nazi period when the façade was renovated after a fire.

Second photo: The same building has another motto around on the other side, facing the library: Die Wahrheit wird euch frei machen, "The truth will set you free" -- a biblical quotation (John 8:32), which was put there when the building was first built in the early 20th century.

Third photo: More university buildings.

Fourth photo: An outdoor café near the university.

Fifth photo: The Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, in another part of the city.

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Website: http://www.uni-freiburg.de/index_en.php

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Things To Do: University of Music

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Written by Nemorino

on Apr 12, 2007

1. Music University

by Nemorino , 2 more photos

The Freiburg University of Music was founded in 1946. The current building, on the east side of the city, has been in use since 1984.

This is a good place to go for free or very low-priced concerts of classical music. Admission to most of the concerts costs all of six euros, and just half of that for students.

Second and third photos: Statues in front of the Music University.

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Website: http://www.mh-freiburg.de/english/start.htm

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Things To Do: Schwabentor

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Written by Nemorino

on Apr 12, 2007

1. Schwabentor

by Nemorino , 4 more photos

This "Schwabian Gate" is at the southeast corner of the Old Town. It was first built around the year 1200, and has been redesigned several times since then.

What you can do here is lock your bike to one of the bicycle stands, walk across the covered bridge to the other side of the road and from there climb up the hill called the Schloßberg.

Second photo: Bicycle parking.

Third photo: The covered bridge across the road.

Fourth photo: If you don't feel like walking all the way up the hill, there is a free elevator that goes part way up, courtesy of the restaurant Greiffenegg Schlössle, which also has a nice beer garden up on the hill.

Fifth photo: This tunnel is the entrance to the free elevator.

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Website: http://www.greiffenegg.de/

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Things To Do: Schloßberg

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Written by Nemorino

on Apr 12, 2007

1. View from Schloßberg, looking

west

by Nemorino , 1 more photos

In 1677 French troops occupied Freiburg and turned this hill into a fortress under the direction of the military engineer Sebastian le Prestre de Vauban (1633-1707). The fortifications were razed in the 1740s.

Nowadays this is a popular place to climb up and look at the views, since it is the closest hill to the Old Town of Freiburg.

Second photo: Another view from the Schloßberg.

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Website: http://www.schlossberg-freiburg.de/

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Things To Do: The Dreisam River

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Written by Nemorino

on Apr 12, 2007

1. The Dreisam River in Freiburg

by Nemorino , 1 more photos