Theater Waidspeicher, Puppet theater in medieval Altstadt, Erfurt, Germany

Theater Waidspeicher is a listed building at Mettengasse 6 in the Große Arche complex in Erfurt, built between 1540 and 1560 as a woad warehouse. Since 1986 it has housed two ensembles: the puppet theatre, with a hall of 142 seats, and the cabaret Die Arche, with 95 seats. The 17th-century ceiling paintings on the beams survive in the puppet theatre hall.

The building was constructed between 1540 and 1560 as a storage facility for woad, a plant-based dye that drove Erfurt's economy for centuries. Today it has been transformed into a performance venue, preserving the structure while serving a completely different purpose.

The building houses two ensembles: the Theater Waidspeicher puppet stage and the Kabarett "Die Arche". The puppet hall seats 142 and the cabaret hall 95. In front of the theatre stands a fountain with figures of the Bremen Town Musicians, carved in 1979 by Karl Lemke.

The puppet theatre hall seats 142 and the cabaret hall 95, so seats are close to the stage. The building stands at Mettengasse/Große Arche 6; the box office, studio and rehearsal room are in the adjoining house at Domplatz 18. In front of the theatre stands a fountain with figures of the Bremen Town Musicians, carved in 1979 by Karl Lemke.

The puppet theatre hall holds 142 seats and the cabaret hall 95; the main curtain in the puppet hall was made by Klaus-Dieter Klotz. In front of the building stands a fountain with figures of the Bremen Town Musicians, carved in 1979 by Karl Lemke.