Major fire in the Leuben State Operetta: emergency services in constant operation!

Major fire in the Leuben State Operetta: emergency services in constant operation!

On the evening of June 6th, a devastating fire broke out in the empty former Leuben State Operetta. When the fire brigade arrived on Friday evening, the building was already on fire and thick smoke was billowing into the area. How dresdner-stadtteilzeitungen.de reported, the successful extinguishing work was reported on June 7th at 1 p.m.

The Dresden fire department mobilized around 150 emergency services who fought the fire with seven jet pipes from three turntable ladders. They were supported by the drone squadron of the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB), which contributed to fighting the fire with thermal imaging. Looking at the smoke-filled scene, permanent damage became apparent: the fire quickly spread to the roof structure of the front building, and the operations management allowed the roof structure to burn through in a controlled manner at 10:50 p.m. The complete destruction of the auditorium was the bitter end to this terrible evening.

Criticism of the city administration

The sad events cast a harsh light on how the abandoned site is dealt with. Loud mdr.de There has been repeated vandalism in the former operetta in the past, which is why the citizens' initiative “Old Operetta - Revitalize Leuben” has repeatedly pointed out the unfortunate conditions to the city administration. The SPD city council group also criticized the fact that no security service was hired for the site while an existing surveillance system was dismantled.

The initiative, which first entered the empty house in December 2023, already noticed serious break-ins: copper cables, copper pipes and radiators had been stolen. Incendiary devices and small firecrackers were also found in the building. This gave rise to initial suspicions of arson. A member of the initiative, John Pietzko, had repeatedly noticed the smell of burning and blazing flames in the main hall, indicating the city's continued deterioration and disregard.

Damage and future prospects

The estimated damage from the fire could be in the six to seven figure range. Rainer Kempe, a member of the citizens' initiative, plans to save parts of the building and strive to revive the old state operetta. However, several steps involve clarifying discussions with the insurance companies and the legal aspects of criminal prosecution.

The State Operetta was once a true cultural jewel in Dresden. Today the city is fighting for what remains of this heritage, while the citizens' group campaigns tirelessly for the future of the site. The required renovation measures of 800,000 euros, which were originally planned for in the 2023/2024 double budget, have already been reallocated. Therefore, we can only hope that the voice of the citizens will finally be heard and that the city administration will take appropriate measures.