Ãœberbrettl

Founded by Ernst von Wolzogen in Berlin 1901 " Überbrettl " was one of the first literary cabaret in Germany. Comparable establishment, it has previously been in Paris, best known probably the Le Chat Noir by Rodolphe Salis in Montmartre. There used artists the opportunity to show off their latest pieces each and numbers to see how they arrived. This concept of cabaret acted as a counter-model to the established art forms and corresponded very spontaneous, socially critical attitude to life especially the young generation of artists around the turn of the century ( " Bohème ").

Genesis

This atmosphere described in 1897, Otto Julius Bierbaum in his novel Stilpe, is said to have encouraged Wolzogen to create a similar facility in Germany. As the name chose Wolzogen who had gathered in his Munich time experience as a game master, with " Überbrettl " an ironic reference to Friedrich Nietzsche's word of the "superman ", which should be also expressed that it is far more than a usual " Cabaret " as it was called small Sideshow clubs at the time, should act, of which you wanted to stand out literary- artistic standards.

Wolzogen opened his " Überbrettl " on January 18, 1901 in the Alexander Road 40 from the former police headquarters Alexanderplatz in the former Berlin Secession theater under the name of "Colourful theater ". The poet Detlev von Liliencron participated in the establishment as a "literary Oberleiter ". Were offered, among other numbers by Christian Morgenstern with a parody of Alfred Kerr, Bierbaum and the one-act opera episode of Arthur Schnitzler. Musical Director was the composer and conductor Victor Hollaender, alongside other Oscar Straus also composed for this cabaret. First, also known as "Colourful theater " soon notorious cabaret was a complete success, the performances were sold out. The ballads, skits and musical performances by the " Überbrettl " still found in the year of imitators, so that emerged within a few years dozens cabarets in Berlin backroom bars. The musical direction of " Überbrettl " took over temporarily the young Arnold Schoenberg.

Encouraged by the overwhelming success of his cabaret stage, he rented in the same year to unused theaters in the courtyard of Kopenickerstrasse 68, which he had rebuilt and equip -consuming by the famous Art Nouveau architect August Endell. The move into the house at that time located in the poor south-east of Berlin city center and the increasing competition led the " Überbrettl " and on business matters little experienced manager in big trouble, so that Wolzogen 1902 adopted by the project, which lost momentum soon and to comedy productions turned.

1909 pulled the newly founded Neue Freie Volksbühne eV transition, in the halls, which served after 1918 various stages and finally as cinema.