The Ballhof is a theater on Ballhofplatz in the old town of Hannover.
The building of the Ballhof was built in the years 1649-1664 by Duke Georg Wilhelm. It should serve festivals, but also the badminton match. This was important at that time in the fine society. In 1664, the court was given to the Duke's valet, Francesco Maria Capellini (called Stechinelli). In 1667 the first performances of comedians took place in the Ballhof. From 1672 to 1852 it was the largest event hall in Hanover. The building was used as an exhibition space (also for animal shows), as a theater and concert room and as a restaurant. In 1779/80, the former master mason Johann Georg Taentzel rebuilt the hall of the Ballhof.
20th century [edit
At the beginning of the 20th century, the surrounding district with the old town center of Hanover was characterized by dilapidated medieval buildings. It was inhabited by members of the lower social class and the hygienic conditions were catastrophic. At the beginning of the Weimar Republic took place in the Ballhof for a few years (1919-1922) for this time quite open and lively gay and lesbian life.
1936/37 extensive renovation and restoration work took place at the Ballhof. In 1939 it came in the surrounding district to a renovation of the old town, in which the old half-timbered houses were demolished around. Only the ball court building stopped. The intention of the National Socialists was also to disperse the district's "red" workers' electorate. From 1939 the Ballhof was a home of the Hitler Youth.
After 1943 both recorded houses of the Niedersächsisches Staatstheater Hannover had been destroyed as a result of the air raids on Hanover during the Second World War, the ensemble moved into the ball court. In 1946, the first theater performance in Hanover took place in the Ballhof after the war.
In 1973/74 the Ballhof was converted into a modern Kammerspieltheater. In 1975, the Ballhofbrunnen was installed on the square. It was created by the Munich sculptor Helmut Otto Schön. He dedicated the fountain to Carl Orff's eightieth birthday.
In 1990, a building expansion took place, in which another, smaller theater called "Ballhof two" was created. Until the inauguration of the new Schauspielhaus in 1992, the Ballhof was the main venue of the Schauspiel des Niedersächsischen Staatstheaters.