SPD Proposes Opera Tour to Save Renovation Funds

The Social Democratic Party (SPD) faction in the Baden-Württemberg state parliament has put forward a proposal to save significant funds on the renovation of the Stuttgart Opera. Instead of constructing a costly temporary venue, the SPD suggests that the opera and ballet companies embark on an extensive tour throughout the state.

"We want to send the artists on a tour through Baden-Württemberg to perform on the numerous stages," stated faction leader Sascha Binder in an interview with the German Press Agency. Binder believes this strategy offers multiple advantages. It would allow world-class Stuttgart artists to reach new audiences across the region and foster artistic growth through collaborations with other theaters.

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We want to send the artists on a tour through Baden-Württemberg to perform on the numerous stages.

The SPD faction also sees substantial cost-saving potential by eliminating the need for a planned interim building. This building was intended to serve as a temporary home for the opera and ballet during the extensive renovation of the main Littmann-Bau, which opened in 1912 and is in urgent need of repair.

While the state and city of Stuttgart had previously announced plans to scale back the interim building project, aiming to cap costs at a maximum of 289 million euros, the SPD argues for its complete removal. Binder cited financial reasons, noting that the overall renovation costs, which were estimated at around one billion euros in 2019 and are now projected by Binder to be closer to two billion euros, are simply too high given the current economic climate, industrial job losses, and declining tax revenues. The SPD advocates for renovating the Littmann-Bau without an interim facility and while maintaining operations, a practice they note is often employed for public buildings like police stations.

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This is simply too much money in these times.