Theater Woes in Erfurt: Three Million Euro Loss and Spending Freeze
Erfurt's beloved theater is grappling with a significant financial setback, having racked up a deficit of about three million euros so far this year. In response, the city has imposed a restricted budget of one million euros for the theater in the forthcoming year. Tobias Knoblich, Erfurt's cultural affairs head, confirmed this on a recent Thursday, following queries about the situation, with MDR Thüringen previously reporting on this matter.
Several factors have contributed to this financial imbalance. One of the primary reasons is this year's Domstufen-Festspiele, which resulted in a loss of around one million euros. The production of "Faust's Damnation" failed to attract the anticipated audience numbers, with attendance only reaching 65%.
The pandemic's impact on audience numbers has also been noticeable, according to the city. Moreover, employee salaries have become more expensive, and operational costs have increased, further contributing to the deficit. The theater, however, is actively working on cost reduction strategies.
In response to the deficit, the city will be providing an additional 770,000 euros for the theater in 2022. From 2025, higher subsidies from both the state and city have been agreed upon in the new theater contract, as confirmed by Knoblich. This increased support is hoped to enable the theater to return to financial balance under restrained management.
The city-owned theater is undergoing a review of all non-contractually committed expenditures due to the spending freeze. The theater's leadership is currently also dealing with allegations of sexual assault and abuse of power, making for a challenging time for artistic director Guy Montavon and the Erfurt theater.
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The exact financial and operational circumstances leading to Theater Erfurt's deficit and the measures being taken by the city to address it require further specific information, beyond the sources provided. Consult local news sources, along with financial reports exclusive to Theater Erfurt, to obtain accurate and comprehensive updates on this situation.
