The Theaterhaus Jena is known for its particular love of experimentation and its young ensemble. Whether world premieres, adaptations of classics or performance theater - every theater lover will find something to their taste here.

The Theaterhaus Jena also has a special history. In contrast to the magnificent theaters built by local princes and dukes in residential cities such as Weimar or Rudolstadt, Jena got its theater as the result of a private initiative. Councillor of Commerce Carl Köhler, an innkeeper, brewer and avowed theater lover, built it in 1872 in the backyard of his inn „Zum Goldenen Engel“. It took 28 years before it was acquired by the Jena municipal council and finally taken over by the Deutsches Nationaltheater as a secondary venue in 1921.

Today, the Theaterhaus Jena GmbH, which was founded in 1993, runs its own ensemble.

It is repeatedly described as an aesthetic laboratory, a springboard for young stage artists and a pioneering theater model between the independent scene and municipal theaters.

Contemporary art is shown: the repertoire includes world premieres as well as modern adaptations of classics and performance theater. Theater work with and for young people plays a major role in the repertoire, as does introducing children to theater.

A highlight is the annual summer spectacle on the theater forecourt to mark the opening of the Jena Kulturarena.