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Fire disaster in Dresden: Old state operetta in flames!
On June 6, 2025, a devastating fire broke out in the Alte Staatsoperette in Dresden. Over 50 firefighters are fighting the smoke. Residents in Großzschachwitz are warned.
Fire disaster in Dresden: Old state operetta in flames!
On Friday evening, June 6, 2025, a violent fire broke out in the former state operetta in the Leuben district of Dresden. The fire department received the alarm at 7:37 p.m. and the situation quickly developed into a large-scale operation. The roof of the old building is on fire and the thickness of the smoke clouds can be seen from far away, as tagesschau.de reports.
The situation has proven to be very challenging for the rescue workers. Around 50 firefighters are on duty, including several turntable ladders that are being used to fight the fire. The extreme temperatures inside the building make extinguishing work difficult, which is why it is currently not possible to enter the building. The fire department has already published transmissions to the population via warning apps to inform residents within a radius of around one kilometer. They were asked to keep windows and doors closed and to turn off their ventilation or air conditioning systems.
Historical context of the state operetta
The Dresden State Operetta is considered Germany's only independent operetta theater and originally comes from an “Apollo Theater” founded in 1947. When the theater in the GDR received its current name, it was already in critical phase of disrepair, and in the 1960s extensive construction work was necessary to preserve the building. After a flood in 2003, the use of the historic building was no longer possible, and the ensemble moved to the Mitte power plant in 2016, reported t-online.de.
Although there are currently no people in the building and no injuries are expected, the immense smoke is a major health risk. More precise data and statistics about the causes and progression of fires are only available to a limited extent in Germany, as feuertrutz.de notes. This could help improve fire safety in the future and enable the population to better prepare for situations like this.
Due to the fire service, there are diversions of local public transport in the area, especially on lines 2, 46 and 65. Residents are on alert because of the extensive clouds of smoke that are moving towards Großzschachwitz and Heidenau.
The current situation remains tense and firefighters are working tirelessly to combat the flames while the city remains prepared for more updated information. The state operetta, once a cultural centerpiece of numerous events, is now ablaze, a reminder of the challenges that historic buildings must overcome in an ever-changing world.