Theater im Pumpenhaus, Independent theatre in Münster, Germany

Theater im Pumpenhaus is an independent theatre housed in a former sewage pumping station in Münster. The building's industrial past is still legible in its structure, and the venue stages contemporary theatre, international dance and youth theatre, with around 200 events a year and rehearsal rooms at Hoppengarten.

Theater im Pumpenhaus opened on 10 May 1985 in a former sewage pumping station, making it the first independent theater in North Rhine-Westphalia. Its first production was Herz der Freiheit, a play about the Anabaptists, directed by Gunther Möllmann. The Theaterinitiative Münster ran the in-house production wing until 1998; since 1 January 1999 the house has operated as a GmbH without its own ensemble.

The name comes from the former sewage pumping station that houses the theatre. Since 1999 the house has had no ensemble of its own; it hosts international guest performances, contemporary dance and productions by Münster's independent theatre labels, around 200 events a year. The annual Statements festival, launched for the 25th birthday in 2010, brought 50 productions and over 70 performances in 58 days.

The theater is centrally located in Münster and is open on performance days. Check their website for current showtimes and details about visiting, where you can also arrange tickets and ask about accessibility options.

Rather than maintaining permanent company members, the theater deliberately invites changing groups of artists and individual creators for each project. This approach keeps the program constantly fresh, with many artists presenting their work here for the first time.