Rathausausstellung 2026 - Tafel 19: Zwischen Regimetreue und Freiräumen | Town-hall Exhibition 2026 - Panel 19: Between loyalty to the regime and artistic licence

Case in point: Thaila Theatre Hamburg’s main theatres came under state control during the Nazi era. Until 1936, the Thalia Theatre had been privately owned. While it had to comply with the guidelines dictated by the Reich Theatre Chamber, it was granted a certain artistic licence. The popular actor Willy Maertens, who was married to a Jewish woman, was allowed to stay on at the theatre. Plays by Jewish authors were staged under pseudonyms. In 1938, the theatre hired the communist Otto Gröllmann as set designer and studio manager. At the same time, Nazi organisations such as the Hitler Youth used the Thalia Theatre as a venue for large-scale events. Speeches by Adolf Hitler, Joseph Goebbels, and other prominent Nazis were reprinted in the programme booklets. In 1939, Hamburg’s Culture Minister, Hellmuth Becker, and the Nazi Party Gau propaganda leader, Hans Rodde, were appointed members of the Thalia Theatre’s supervisory board.