Berlin's Theater Ost Presses On Amid Standoff Over Building's Future

Theater Ost in Berlin's Adlershof district has resumed ticket sales and is moving ahead with a full autumn program, even as a dispute over the building's ownership and planned renovation remains unresolved following an averted eviction attempt in early August.

The theater's next scheduled event, an appearance by Russia expert Gabriele Krone-Schmalz, has already sold out. The talk will take place in the theater's main hall, a space once used to broadcast East Germany's state television news program "Aktuelle Kamera."

Artistic director Kathrin Schülein said the venue intends to continue operating despite ongoing tension with property developer Stefan Klinkenberg and Berlin's Senate Department for Urban Development over the building's future. "We are negotiating," Schülein said. "We are working."

The conflict centers on how to carry out planned structural renovations to the building while preserving the theater's ability to keep staging performances. Theater leadership has pushed for a plan that would allow renovation work to proceed while the venue remains open, but Klinkenberg has rejected that approach, according to Schülein.

As an alternative, the theater is searching for a temporary venue to use during any renovation period, Schülein said. She said the Senate Department for Urban Development, led by the Social Democratic Party, has not offered support in that search.

Schülein said the department has instead asked her to sign a preliminary agreement committing the theater to return to the Adlershof building once construction work is finished. She characterized the request as a form of pressure and said she does not intend to sign it.

"That I will not sign," Schülein said, arguing that no one can predict what circumstances will exist once renovations are complete or whether the finished building will meet the theater's operational needs.

According to Schülein, the ground lease agreement that grants Klinkenberg development rights to the site specifies that Theater Ost, as the building's longtime tenant, retains a right to return to the property after renovation. She said the agreement does not establish an obligation to do so, a distinction she said makes the department's request inappropriate.

Schülein also pointed to the lack of assistance in locating an interim performance space as part of what she described as pressure being placed on the theater. "We hope for an understanding," she said, referring to ongoing efforts to reach a resolution with the developer and city officials.

Despite the unresolved dispute, Schülein described morale inside the theater as strong. "Everyone is ready to fight," she said. "Everyone would love nothing more than to secure this building, because they love it."

Schülein outlined two possible outcomes as talks continue. Either the building will ultimately be handed over to the theater, she said, or the company will have to vacate the site by January 1, 2027.

Theater staff and supporters are hoping a resolution can be reached following Berlin's upcoming elections, according to Schülein. In the meantime, the venue's programming, including the sold-out Krone-Schmalz event, is proceeding as planned.