Why go
Its permanent home is the opera house on the Unter den Linden boulevard in the Mitte district of Berlin, which also hosts the Staatskapelle Berlin orchestra. Originally the Hofoper (court opera) from 1742, it was named Königliches Opernhaus (Royal Opera House) in 1844, and Staatsoper unter den Linden in 1918.
What to look for
- The restored opera house is best understood through a performance or an announced guided visit.
The full story
From 1949 to 1990 it was the state opera of East Germany. Since 2004, the Berlin State Opera belongs to the Berlin Opera Foundation, like the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Komische Oper Berlin, the Berlin State Ballet, and the Bühnenservice Berlin (Stage and Costume Design). History Early years King Frederick II of Prussia shortly after his accession to the throne commissioned the original building on the site. Construction work began in July 1741 with what was designed by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff to be the first part of a "Forum Fredericianum" on present-day Bebelplatz. Although not entirely completed, the Court Opera (Hofoper) was inaugurated with a performance of Carl Heinrich Graun's Cesare e Cleopatra on December 7, 1742. This event marked the beginning of the successful, 250-year co-operation between the Staatsoper and the Staatskapelle Berlin, the state orchestra, whose roots trace back to the 16th century.
Useful to know
- Check the current performance or guided-visit programme; ordinary daytime interior access may not be available.
- Use the exterior and surrounding square as the fallback when no event or tour fits your date.