Hessian State Theatre

Between 1892 and 1894, the new theatre was ordered and financed by Emperor Wilhelm II and its opening was lavishly celebrated in the presence of the Emperor on 16 October 1894. The Viennese architect Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer built the structure in the neo-Baroque style. The new building took the place of the Alte Hoftheater and the former spa hotel Nassauer Hof.

The theatre's towering corner cupola became an eye-catcher. In 1902, in response to a suggestion of the Emperor, the municipal architect Felix Genzmer added the splendid foyer on the theatre's eastern side. In March 1923, a fire destroyed the cupola of the tower over the stage which, for reasons related to cost, could only be rebuilt in a more modest form. The richly ornamented ticket-window hall and the columned portico fell victim to bombs during the Second World War.  Between 1975 and 1978 the auditorium of the Opera House was restored to its original condition.