People's Theatre- Volksbühne (Berlin)

 theatre, heritage, Neoclassical (architecture), 1914_construction, Rationalism (architecture)

The Volksbühne is a theatre in Berlin. Located in Berlin's city center Mitte on Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz in what was the East-German capital, the Volksbühne exemplifies the socialist realism style of architecture that characterized much of East Berlin.

The Volksbühne was built during the years 1913 to 1914 and was designed by Oskar Kaufmann, with integrated sculpture by Franz Metzner. It has its origin in an organization known as the "Freie Volksbühne," which sketched out the vision for a theater "of the people" in 1892. The goal of the organization was to promote the social-realist plays of the day at prices accessible to the common worker. The original slogan inscribed on the edifice was "Die Kunst dem Volke."

During the Second World War the theatre was reduced to rubble. From 1950 to 1954, the theatre was rebuilt according to the design of architect Hans Richter.