Financial crisis! Central Saxon theater is fighting for survival

Financial crisis! Central Saxon theater is fighting for survival

Freiberg, Deutschland - The Middle Saxon theater faces a financial cliff. The theater currently lacks 700,000 euros in households 2025/26, which seriously endangers the future of the house. Managing Director Hans Peter Ickrath is optimistic despite the tense situation. A month ago, the theater, together with other Saxon stages in Dresden, mobilized for better financing and was able to include around 300 theater people and visitors. They urgently call for higher grants from the Free State of Saxony, because the future of many stages is on the brink, such as the Press reported.

The fact that the Free State of Saxony cuts the grants for the theater in Döbeln and Freiberg is particularly alarming. This is a hard blow, not only for the theater employees, but also for the entire region, which is dependent on cultural offers. In an open letter, the shareholders of the theater protest against these cuts and appeal to Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer and Minister of Culture Barbara Klepsch to take the predicament seriously. During the last budget planning, the funds for the theater had already been greatly reduced, which indicates structural underfunding that is particularly devastating for rural areas, according to the Sächsische .

rescue attempts and challenges

A rescue package that was founded by the district of Central Saxony and the cities of Döbeln and Freiberg secured the theater operation until at least 2025. This package, a shareholder agreement from 2022, had urgently needed to ensure the survival of the theater in persistently difficult economic conditions. Despite these measures, the financial support of the Free State and the cultural area remains crucial for the continued existence of the institution. The theater's economic plan provides for a deficit of around 700,000 euros, which is why the reduction in funds by around 50 percent compared to the funds originally provided for 2023 would have followed catastrophic.

Saxony's Minister of Culture Barbara Klepsch recently reached an agreement with municipal theaters and orchestras to provide additional financing needs for 2023 and 2024 in the amount of 4.6 million euros, but support for the years 2025 and 2026 remains insecure. Experiences from the past show that despite increased grants there will also be existential challenges in the future. The underfinanced theater and orchestra, including the Middle Saxon theater, urgently need a return to stable financial circumstances, such as the Medienervice Sachsen . 

The situation is clear: Without adequate financial support, cultural wealth and diversity in Saxony threaten to fall by the wayside. The efforts of the theater makers and the municipal representatives must therefore be taken seriously by politics. A strong cultural offer is not only for the artists, but also for the community of fundamental importance.