Landestheater Oberpfalz reports bankruptcy: shock for Vohenstrauß!

Landestheater Oberpfalz reports bankruptcy: shock for Vohenstrauß!

Vohenstrauss. A nightmare for the Landestheater Oberpfalz: After a brief dream of a new venue in the glass factory, the LTO files for bankruptcy! On Thursday, October 31, 2024, the application to open insolvency proceedings was submitted to the Weiden district court. This hits the 20 employees and numerous artists hard, who now have to worry about their contracts, including the renowned writer Bernhard Setzwein.

The alarming signals had been heard for a long time: the sudden resignation of Managing Director Wolfgang Meidenbauer, who pulled the emergency brake after eight years in office, set alarm bells ringing. The changing conditions and the enormous financial burden were no longer bearable for him. The corona pandemic has left a deep financial wound that even successful productions like “Everyman” and “Anatevka” have not been able to heal. Instead, the LTO was catapulted from a deficit into the next crisis.

Politics in crisis mode

Weiden state parliament member Stephan Oetzinger (CSU) speaks out and emphasizes that the support from the Free State was by no means inadequate. “We have provided over 3 million euros since it was founded!” he explains. Despite this help, the financial bottlenecks have become too great. An insolvency administrator will now examine the situation and try to find a perspective for the theater. “We are ready to support professional theater structures,” says Oetzinger.

The Stadtbühne Vohenstrauß e.V. and the donors are looking for solutions to maintain theater operations in northern Upper Palatinate. Theater fans who have already bought tickets for the current 24/25 season have to prepare for uncertain times. District Administrator Andreas Meier has already called a meeting with the donors to discuss the financial situation. But the grim reality is that the LTO's acute situation can no longer be saved.