Theater Karlshorst

Theater Karlshorst is a neoclassical theater building in the Lichtenberg district with a circular floor plan and colonnaded entrance. Inside, the auditorium holds around 600 seats supported by round columns with ornamental capitals, while a curved gallery overlooks the main floor.

The building was constructed between 1948 and 1949 as Germany's first post-war theater under Soviet occupation. It was built as Military Object No. 5 to offer performances to Soviet soldiers in Berlin and the local population.

The stage served as a meeting point for German-Soviet encounters, where artists from both nations performed and brought audiences together. The rooms today still reflect this era of cultural exchange between the two countries.

The building is currently occupied by the Shostakovich Music School Berlin-Lichtenberg and is not typically open to public visits. Plans call for it to reopen in 2026 as KAHO with theater, cinema, and concert spaces.

The building incorporates the preserved ballroom of the former Deutsches Haus, which originally served variety shows and entertainment facilities such as carousels and shooting galleries. This historical layer makes the structure more than just a theater, connecting different phases of Berlin's past.