ABSTRACT
From the early seventeenth century German speaking theatre companies and music ensembles regularly travelled and performed all over Europe, particularly in the Baltic and in geographical areas which after 1918 became part of Poland, Slovenia and Czechoslovakia. Theatrical activity in Bielitz was first documented in the late eighteenth century, and the local German theatre opened in 1890. Although the amateur companies did not receive substantial regular subsidies and therefore had to keep an eye on the box office, the support from Germany helped them to produce a varied repertoire. The significant presence of ethnic Germans in Romania resulted in noteworthy theatrical activity. The company toured plays in German throughout the country and was widely reported upon in Nazi Germany. The situation for many German language theatres across Europe was indeed challenging after 1918, and many playhouses struggled financially with decreasing audiences and loss of funding.
