Contemporary · Architecture

Opéra national du Rhin

Strasbourg

The Opéra national du Rhin is an opera, choreography, and theater institution in the Alsace region of eastern France. It was created in 1972 by merging three centers: the Opera in Strasbourg, the Opera and Ballet in Mulhouse, and the Municipal Theater in Colmar with its Opera Studio. Since 1997, it has held the status of a national opera.

Its history is linked to opera in Strasbourg, which began in 1701 when a wooden granary near Place Broglie was converted into an opera theater. That early building was later destroyed by fire in 1800, leading to the decision to build a new theater. Construction of the Napoleon Theater took seventeen years and involved four design changes. The neoclassical façade was designed by Nicolas Jean Villot and includes six Doric columns, while Landolin Ohmacht sculpted six muse statues for the portico terrace. The building was completed in 1821, restored and expanded in 1854, and was almost completely destroyed by artillery fire in 1870. It was reopened in 1919 after further changes and modernization in later periods.

Map showing the location of Opéra national du Rhin in Strasbourg
Location of Opéra national du Rhin in Strasbourg

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Formation and Status

The Opopera national du Rhin is an opera, choreography, and theater institution in the Alsace region of eastern France. It was created in 1972 by merging three centers: the Opera in Strasbourg, the Opera and Ballet in Mulhouse, and the Municipal Theater in Colmar with its Opera Studio. Since 1997, it has held the status of a national opera.

From Early Opera House to City Theater

The opera in Strasbourg was founded in 1701, when a wooden granary near Place Broglie was converted into an opera theater. Its original building gradually became unsuitable, and it was destroyed by fire in 1800. After the fire, the company decided to build a new theater, laying the foundation stone for the Napoleon Theater four years later. Construction took seventeen years and involved four design changes before it was completed in 1821.

The finished building featured a neoclassical facade designed by Nicolas Jean Villot, with six Doric columns, and a portico terrace decorated with six statues of muses sculpted by Landolin Ohmacht. After Napoleon's death in 1821, the theater was renamed the French Theater. It was restored and expanded in 1854, with interiors that remain as they are today.

The building was almost completely destroyed by artillery fire during the Battle of Strasbourg on September 10, 1870, although the six muse statues on the facade survived. Thirteen years later, Strasbourg regained control of the theater and renamed it the City Theater. A further expansion in 1888 added a rotunda to the rear facade on the Ill River.

From Postwar Revival to Regional Institution

After Germany's defeat in World War I, Historia opera became French theater again. Paul Bastide revived the French ensemble and the national repertoire, and the house officially reopened on March 8, 1919, with a performance of Saint-Saens' Samson and Delilah. The opera continued operating under German occupation from 1940, when it was modernized and equipped with a revolving stage. Under the Fourth Republic, audience numbers declined. A new phase began when Marcel Landowsky, music director from 1966 to 1974, initiated the creation of Opéra national du Rhin, bringing together three Alsatian cities. Located at Place Broglie, Historia opera became part of this regional institution alongside other theaters. In 1997, it became a state institution.