Devastating fire in Dresden State Operetta: Millions in damage threatened!

Devastating fire in Dresden State Operetta: Millions in damage threatened!

Last night there was a devastating fire in the former home of the State Operetta in Dresden-Leuben. The police estimate the damage to be between six and seven figures. Interestingly, the exact cause of the fire is still unclear and police fire investigators are currently intensively investigating. Even if the timing of the results is uncertain, the incident raises the concerns of the citizens' initiative “Leuben Beleben” about the years of deterioration of the historic building.

The old operetta has been empty since the end of 2016, when the state operetta moved to the Mitte power plant. In recent years the site has been the target of vandalism, which has exacerbated the circumstances. The committed citizens of the initiative have repeatedly pointed out the precarious conditions, but there has been no response from the city. John Pietzko, an active member of the initiative, recently discovered signs of break-in and graffiti while smelling the smell of fire and capturing the blazing flames on video.

Commitment to the historic building

An important head of the initiative, Dr. Rainer Kempe (81) expressed concern about the condition of the operetta. Vandalism is not just a one-time problem, but an ongoing one. Construction work to renovate the cloakroom was already planned, but this never came to fruition. The amount of 800,000 euros earmarked in the budget for these measures will not be included in the financial planning for the next few years, which is causing great dismay for the initiative.

Heike Witopil (61) criticizes the city's priorities. She wonders why the preservation of the operetta is not the focus while new construction projects such as a concert building are being discussed. A feasibility study that cost 30,000 euros shows that the old operetta could be used profitably as a cultural center for Leuben. Kempe firmly believes that not only dance and sports clubs, but also citizens would benefit from revitalizing the building.

The fight for monument protection

The current incident also raises questions about monument protection. Past decisions by an administrative court in Lüneburg show that it is often difficult for monument protection authorities to enforce measures when owners allow their buildings to fall into disrepair. It has already been decided in the past that allowing a cultural monument to fall into disrepair cannot be viewed as an intervention, which weakens the local authorities' responsibility. If such legal framework conditions are not reconsidered, the decline of the old operetta could become a permanent fate.

The citizens' initiative is calling for urgent measures to be taken to restore it, otherwise increasing vandalism could lead to the operetta being lost forever. Petra Hering (68) clarifies: “What is the city’s cultural responsibility?” Without a clear plan and serious efforts to preserve it, the historic building, which was once a vibrant part of cultural life in Dresden, is in danger of finally being forgotten.