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Major fire in Dresden's empty state operetta: building completely burned out!
A major fire in the old state operetta in Dresden-Leuben led to a complete collapse of the building. The cause of the fire is unclear.
Major fire in Dresden's empty state operetta: building completely burned out!
On the night of Saturday, June 7th, a devastating fire broke out in the former state operetta in Dresden-Leuben. The important historic building, which has been vacant since 2016, is completely burned out. The estimated damage is between six and seven figures. City spokesmen confirm that the area has often been the target of vandalism. The cause of the fire remains unclear, but fire investigators have completed their investigations at the scene and are now in the evaluation phase.
The fire brigade was on duty for several hours with around 150 emergency services. The all-clear was finally given at 5:30 a.m. after the flames had been extinguished. The fire brigade was supported not only by the Technical Relief Agency, which covered the roof, but also by a drone squadron from the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund. These measures were intended to reach the still glowing sources of the fire. The smoke cloud was extremely unpredictable during the operation due to changing winds, which made extinguishing work even more difficult. The fire department also criticized onlookers who besieged the site with their own drones and thus ran the risk of hindering the operation.
Collapse and evacuations
A sad result of the fire: the rear part of the complex where the auditorium was located collapsed. Due to the acute risk of collapse, entering the main building and the former auditorium is now prohibited. Two neighboring residential buildings also had to be evacuated as a precaution, while residents within a one-kilometer radius were told to close windows and doors. The incident was alarming for many in the area, not least because another fire was reported on the same day in a vacant building in Dresden-Neustadt.
The old state operetta looks back on a long tradition and was active as a musical folk theater in Dresden for over 240 years. Their last location in the former inn in Leuben was a permanent institution since October 1947 until the performances were moved to the area of the former Mitte power plant in December 2016. The property is owned by the city of Dresden, which is now facing serious accusations that the site was not adequately protected to prevent such incidents.
Numerous discussions and investigations are likely to take place in the city over the next few days as the cause of the damage continues to be investigated and the question arises as to what can happen next with the historic building. The loss of this traditional cultural site is a bitter blow for the Dresden cultural scene.