Heart pain in leuben: old operetta after fire badly damaged!
Heart pain in leuben: old operetta after fire badly damaged!
On Friday morning, June 10, 2025, Dresden experienced a tragic loss: the old operetta in Leuben burned out completely. Another piece of our cultural heritage is irretrievably lost. The former state operetta that has been empty since 2016 was the goal of a committed citizens' initiative that campaigned for the revival of the historical building. The fire not only destroyed the hopes of the initiative, but also fueled the debate about securing historical building fabric. [TAG24 reports that…] (https://www.tag24.de/dresden/lokales/wachen-dresdnern-blutet-das-herz-haette-feuer-in-Older-Older-werden-Koennen-koennen-koenne
concerned residents and members of the citizens' initiative "Old Operetta - Live Leuben" had previously pointed out the increasing vandalism and the dangers of a fire. In a troubling information letter, they expressed their concerns about burglaries and the theft of valuable materials such as copper cables. In December 2023, the initiative documented that the building was defined with fire sets and bright bodies. In fact, a member of the initiative, John Pietzko, found the dense smell of fire and blazing flames in the main hall during a control. His quick action prevented worse, but the damage in the auditorium and roof structure is enormous. MDR has reported that…
a call for help from the citizens' initiative
In view of the dramatic situation, the city administration immediately demanded that the city council immediately demanded security measures. Kathrin Kondaurow, the director of the State Operetta, expressed her shock about the developments and pointed out that alarm systems had already been closed for cost reasons. This has caused the building to be unprotected, especially after the video surveillance was stolen. Heike Ahnert, the CDU parliamentary group leader, criticized the inactivity of the administration and emphasized that the city had to do more for the protection of valuable cultural sites.The citizens' initiative had contacted the city administration in advance in order to draw attention to the progressive decline and the threat of the building. One plans to fill the disused place with life again, but the repeated warnings remained unanimated. The city made promises to improve security, but still did not have sufficient measures.
cultural asset in danger
In the discussion about the fire, it quickly becomes clear that the loss of historical buildings not only has a material but also an ideal value. As studies show, historical buildings are particularly at risk of becoming a victim of arson or technical defects. Cultural assets are part of our collective memory and stand for the identity of a city. According to Feuertrutz, many such cultural goods in Germany have been on fire in recent decades, tragically often because of human failure or neglect. Fires in important buildings such as the Anna Amalia library or Notre-Dame are only the tip of the iceberg.
The estimated damage to the historic building in Dresden is likely to lie in the six to seven-digit range, whereby voices become loud from the citizens' initiative, which want to save parts of the building. Rainer Kempe, a member of the initiative, hopes that despite the destruction, the common goal of reviving the state operetta will be pursued. However, the next steps will depend heavily on insurance and legal questions.
Overall, it remains to be seen how the city will react to these dramatic events. However, one thing is certain: the concerns of the citizens' initiative to maintain their cultural heritage are justified and must be taken seriously.
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| Ort | Leuben, Deutschland |
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