Comedy by Anton Hamik
Swabian adaptation: Franz Xaver Ott

The grandfather lives on the farm of his son-in-law, who is having all sorts of trouble with him and the financial situation on the farm. Now the maid is also quitting because she can no longer stand the grandfather's insolence. Should they get rid of the old man? Meanwhile, a wealthy horse dealer is trying to marry his daughter to the farmer's son, which is surprising but could at least avert the debt burden. However, the son is in no way willing to agree, as he doesn't know the bride at all. The horse dealer is also not acting out of altruistic intentions; he has heard that the grandfather supposedly owns two houses, and so he is now persuading the farmer to let him have the grandfather for a small amount of money. He hopes to be able to inherit the estate after the grandfather's death. However, he has miscalculated with the crafty old gentleman.

The folk comedy is a fireworks display of witty punchlines and clever twists. The center of the play is the nimble and sharp-witted grandfather. He is equipped for almost every situation and is never at a loss for words. He always has a cheeky remark up his sleeve, and to everyone's surprise, he holds the strings and always has one more trump card up his sleeve.

With: Berthold Biesinger, Stefan Hallmayer, Rino Hosennen, Hannah Im Hof, Anne-Julia Koller, Franz Xaver Ott, Carola Schwelien, Luca Zahn.

Directed by: Siegfried Bühr
Stage and costumes: Siegfried Bühr

The Lindenhof Theater guest performance at the Wilhelma Theater

Welcome to the realm of knowledge in the Baroque era: Stepping onto creaking floorboards into the quiet grandeur of our historical library hall, one is immediately enveloped by the collective knowledge of the Early Modern period. Like stage sets in a Baroque theater, the original bookshelves jut into the space, housing around 50,000 books from all fields of knowledge. Behind unassuming book spines lie remarkable treasures, such as the first German Bible printed in America.

At the end of the 17th century, the orphanage's library was established as one of the first public libraries in Germany. Primarily through donations, book exchanges, and their own publications, the library grew so rapidly that within a few years, it was comparable to significant German university libraries. In 1728, it received its own building, which is considered the oldest surviving secular library structure in Germany. Not only in recent times has the library been visited by guests and researchers from around the world: Albrecht von Haller, Johann Joachim Winckelmann, and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe all admired its bibliophilic treasures. We present a selection of them for you in rotating cabinet exhibitions in the former reading room of the library.

10 am - 5 pm

Palace-like, the orphanage rises on Franckeplatz. Then as now, it is the centerpiece of the Francke Foundations. Erected in 1698 as the first building of the school city, it represents a new facet of European Baroque, combining confident representation without extravagant ornamentation and setting the tone for orphanage architecture.

Today, the orphanage is our museum and cultural center. Right from the start, two permanent exhibitions guide you through the history of the foundation and the global impact of Pietism. On the first floor, the former prayer and singing hall surprises with its bright architecture. Today, it enjoys an excellent reputation as a concert hall due to its fantastic acoustics. In the adjacent conference rooms, a photo exhibition showcases the impressive renovation work since the foundations were reestablished in 1991. The second floor is reserved for our changing special exhibitions, which provide insight into important themes of the foundation's history from both a historical and contemporary perspective. Passing through the art and natural history collections in the attic, you reach the balcony via a narrow wooden staircase. Here, a wide view opens up over the impressive ensemble with school buildings from three centuries. There is also a splendid panorama of the Old Town of Halle from here. In the basement, children can explore their own paths in the Krokoseum.

10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Model exhibition

What power does the word have? For Halleschen Pietismus, the word was of central importance. On the ground floor of the Historical Orphanage, we show you how August Hermann Francke's reform movement could spread around the world.

Francke developed central reformative goals of Martin Luther's with Halleschen Pietismus. His approach was as clear as it was revolutionary: Every person should find God through their own Bible reading. However, for this to happen, everyone - boys and girls alike - had to learn to read, everyone should be able to afford their own Bible and it should be printed in their own native language. Therefore, Francke established schools for all social classes, printed millions of German-language People's Bibles, and created an international network through which the Bible was translated into many other languages. His educational initiative allowed a broad population to engage with the word. In the 18th-century evangelical parsonages, the authors of the Romantic and Enlightenment periods were highly regarded. A culture of self-reflection spread in Pietism, which was reflected in diaries and personal testimonies, giving us remarkable insights into the spiritual life of people of that time. Symbolically, the power of the word is also evident in the meticulously restored pulpit from the Church of St. Ulrich in Halle, where Francke preached from 1715 and which you can admire in the exhibition.

10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Light and shadow make their way, creating a world of light and dark in the vast universe. Two beings, who could not be more different, but in their interplay create beautiful images. Yet as quickly as the light images appear, they also vanish and transform into ever-new fantasy creations. In the interplay of brightness and darkness, of tones, sounds, and silence, of stillness and movement, a dream theater full of magic and beautiful illusions emerges.

The T-Werk production “Das kleine Licht bin ich” is the first joint performance with the visual artist Heide Schollähn, dancer Laura Heinecke, and musician Nicolas Schulze.

Thanks to the associative language of images, the spoken word is set aside in the piece. Thus, in the combination of dance, music, and live projections, a fairy-tale world is created that challenges the creative imagination of children and shows how new worlds of images can always be created with the simplest means.

“Playful lightness, but also philosophical depth.” Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten

Duration of the piece: 40 min.
Age: from 3 years old

Light and shadow make their way, creating a world of light and dark in the vast universe. Two beings, who could not be more different, but in their interplay create beautiful images. Yet as quickly as the light images appear, they also vanish and transform into ever-new fantasy creations. In the interplay of brightness and darkness, of tones, sounds, and silence, of stillness and movement, a dream theater full of magic and beautiful illusions emerges.

The T-Werk production “Das kleine Licht bin ich” is the first joint performance with the visual artist Heide Schollähn, dancer Laura Heinecke, and musician Nicolas Schulze.

Thanks to the associative language of images, the spoken word is set aside in the piece. Thus, in the combination of dance, music, and live projections, a fairy-tale world is created that challenges the creative imagination of children and shows how new worlds of images can always be created with the simplest means.

“Playful lightness, but also philosophical depth.” Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten

Duration of the piece: 40 min.
Age: from 3 years old

Model exhibition

Dancing Christmas angels, a singing Santa Claus, a sparkling stage design… The popular Christmas show with Unikat & Freunde is coming back in 2025!
The most beautiful Christmas and winter hits will be presented in a colorful potpourri: Classic Christmas songs meet well-known Christmas songs from pop music.
On stage are Unikat – Gaby and Armin Heuberger and friends. The musicians are supported by a background choir and dancers.
You can look forward to a splendid evening and an entertaining experience. The pre-Christmas season cannot be more beautiful!

Playing, laughing, being loud, romping, doing nothing – and that in an exhibition house! From September 4, 2024, BAUBAU invites exactly that. In the play space for children designed by artist Kerstin Brätsch, more is allowed than forbidden. Colorful wallpapers, structures, objects, and a range of “Loose Parts” form spaces on the ground floor of the Gropius Bau that do not impose fixed guidelines but are determined by the activities of the children. They dictate the direction and form of what happens here. Thus, this place becomes a space of possibilities that can change day by day.

BAUBAU will launch in September 2024 in a prototype version and will continue to develop and grow over the coming years both inside and outside the Gropius Bau – in close exchange with the children and their wishes, as this is their place.

The Play
All children have the urge to play. This is how they learn to understand themselves and the world. Especially open, self-determined play is of great significance for emotional and social development. The educational concept for BAUBAU is therefore based on the principles of free play: Here, there is time, space, and permission for children to follow their own needs and interests. They are accompanied by playworkers – trained staff who create a safe and supportive environment where children can play freely.

 
The Art
BAUBAU playfully questions what a museum or an art institution should be. The comprehensive spatial design developed by Kerstin Brätsch is full of references and inspirations: elements from her previous works, such as marbling, paintings, or stucco marble work, reappear here in altered forms and materialities. The wallpapers, curtains, fabrics, seating furniture, and climbing structures are inhabited by dinosaurs, fantastical beings, termite mounds, and abstract elements. With their strange, funny, and perhaps a bit eerie shapes, they create an open framework for free play.

Kerstin Brätsch's practice is designed to allow and incorporate influences from outside. While she has previously collaborated with artists or artisans, she now does so in a completely different way with children: She invites the children to reshape and further develop the space according to their own ideas and visions, without the influence of the artist in unpredictable ways.

Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri 12:00–18:00
Sat, Sun 11:00–18:00
Tue closed

Hannover's cabaret lady number one, DAPHNE DE LUXE invites three excellent artists every evening and turns the Zimtstern-Kabarett into an unforgettable experience.

Enjoy the evening with drinks and optionally with the festive cinnamon star buffet.
(On these days, there is no "small menu" in the hall)

The seats are reserved for you!

Doors open at 6:30 PM, the seats are reserved

Tickets may still be available at the box office.

The two siblings get lost in the forest and find themselves in the arms of the witch. She knows what they wish for: sweets! And the children are already under her spell. But Gretel knows what to do in dire need and frees her brother.
Performed by: Galli Team Erfurt

Admission starts 30 minutes prior with fairy tale muffins in the café.

This lively and dance-like program, named after the ancient Spanish Christmas carol Ríu Ríu Chíu, brings together vocal and instrumental music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The ensemble Tres Morillas, founded in 2016 and consisting of June Telletxea (soprano, castanets & tambourine), Max Hattwich (theorbo & baroque guitar), and Julia Kursawe (baroque cello & piccolo cello), presents the diversity of Spanish old music with its religious and cultural influences.

Entrance: 18:30

Helene Blum & Harald Haugaard present the 19th Nordic Christmas Tour
on December 13, 20225, at the Evangelical-Reformed Church Göttingen

Christmas is a time to find peace and listen. To hear what is important in life. Christmas is full of traditions that connect people across generations and link the present with the past.
Singer Helene Blum and violinist Harald Haugaard bring the special atmosphere of the Nordic winter into our lovely church. Their program "Nordic Christmas" celebrates this hopeful time with authentic and lovingly selected pieces and stories - a festive mood and musical enjoyment at the highest level.
The Danish musician couple and their changing guests skillfully tell of small moments, and between the notes, the audience sees the tracks in the snow, hears the goblins giggle, and reindeer clattering. Time seems to stand still - until the next drum roll sounds and a lively dance begins...
Helene Blum and Harald Haugaard are among the most sought-after Danish names in Modern Nordic Folk. Their pronounced sense of touching melodies, their versatility, and musical depth are showcased in their own compositions and contemporary arrangements of traditional pieces. Dizzily fast rhythms or delicately floating sounds, both seem to effortlessly find harmony. Haugaard's virtuosic violin playing and the elegant sound of the band beautifully envelop the bright, clear voice of Helene Blum - music that invites contemplation, dancing, and celebration.
This year, the ensemble is more international than ever, and a long-held dream is coming true: for the first time, a Norwegian Hardanger fiddler will be part of the ensemble - violin virtuoso and singer Tiril Eirunn Einarsdotter, an impressive young musician with a powerful presence and a fine sense for Nordic soundscapes.
From Sweden comes one of the big names in the Nordic folk scene - Oskar Reuter, a top-class guitarist known from numerous projects, especially the power folk band SVER. His playing combines lyrical sensitivity with rhythmic depth and brings the musical foundation to groove.
Completing the high-profile line-up, which unites three Nordic countries, are Danish cellist Kirstine Elise Pedersen and Sune Rahbek on percussion – both long-time members of the Blum-Haugaard ensemble.
Nordic Christmas 2025 is more than a concert: It is a musical journey through Scandinavian Christmas stories, old songs, new compositions, and instrumental sound landscapes – sometimes quiet and reflective, sometimes lively and full of joy. In a time when the desire for peace and connection is particularly strong, this concert offers a special place to pause and come together.
Nordic Christmas 2025 – Nordic. Festive. Touching.
Everyone is invited

"A pre-Christmas time filled with captivating joy of life and a lot of poetry full of radiance."
(Wolfenbütteler Zeitung)

"With great virtuosity, the musicians let the small, often almost silent moments sparkle. They exude an infectious warmth and joy of playing that quickly captivates the entire audience." (Göttinger Tageblatt)

Line up
Helene Blum (DK) - Vocals, Violin
Harald Haugaard (DK) - Violin
with:
Tiril Eirunn Einarsdotter (NOR) – Hardanger Fiddle, Vocals, Violin
Kirstine Elise Pedersen (DK) - Cello
Oskar Reuter (SWE) - Guitar
Sune Rahbek (DK) – Percussion

Doors open: 6:30 PM

Model exhibition

Ten Years of Meissen Porcelain Foundation
Exhibition at the Museum of the Meissen Porcelain Foundation, March 21, 2025 to February 22, 2026

Collecting fascinates. The Meissen Porcelain Foundation was founded at the end of 2014, and it began its work in 2015. It preserves the cultural heritage of Meissen porcelain. One of the foundation's tasks is the care of the historical collection of the Meissen porcelain manufactory.

Manufacturer founder Augustus the Strong referred to his passion for porcelain as “Maladie.” This literally means “disease,” but stands for his boundless longing for the precious white gold. This fascination is shared to this day by generations of collectors – and artists. Their porcelains showcase the invention, production, and collection of the white treasures. Porcelain craftsmen provide insight into their art. Happy collectors cherish their treasures. Artists play with the term porcelain and transform centuries-old tools into contemporary porcelain art.

The exhibition provides insight into the work of the foundation and showcases Meissen porcelains around the theme of collecting.

„Fly with me! Fly with me!“, calls Albi, the Alpine swift, who nests under the roof of the Linden Museum during the summer months. On your flight through the permanent exhibitions, you will encounter the transparent kangaroo, hear about an extinct bird, and can listen to the conversation with Seraa, the elephant. Whether in pictures or clothing, made from wood, ceramics, and stone – the animals and their representations tell of the coexistence of humans and animals. This relationship is not always straightforward. On one hand, many animals are admired, revered, and appreciated as companions or domestic and farm animals, while on the other hand, their habitats are also destroyed and they are hunted or displaced.

In the exhibition, illustrator Promina Shrestha brings the animals on the objects to life through her images. During the listening and stamping rally, you will discover together with Albi what the animals have to say, solve puzzles, and collect stamps.

€ 4/3 including permanent exhibitions
Children up to 18 years free

Tue to Sat 10 AM - 5 PM / Sun and holidays 10 AM - 6 PM / Closed on Dec 24, 25, and 31

Dive into the “Anatomy of Happiness”

Human happiness is closely related to the body. How closely is revealed by the KÖRPERWELTEN permanent exhibition in Heidelberg. Here, the anatomist Gunther von Hagens developed the method of plastination at the University of Heidelberg, a groundbreaking technique for preserving bodies.

Today, KÖRPERWELTEN is one of the most popular exhibitions in the world. Curious people around the globe explore the mysteries of human existence. But it is not just the anatomy of the body that is central – rather, it is about raising awareness and understanding the significance of the body in relation to one's own happiness. The exhibited plastinates create a new awareness for a responsible approach to one's own body and a healthy lifestyle. What moves us? What drives us? And how does happiness actually work? All these questions and many more are answered in the “Anatomy of Happiness” and just as many are raised anew. The human body never ceases to amaze and inspire us.

Last admission: 5:00 PM

Welcome to the realm of knowledge in the Baroque era: Stepping onto creaking floorboards into the quiet grandeur of our historical library hall, one is immediately enveloped by the collective knowledge of the Early Modern period. Like stage sets in a Baroque theater, the original bookshelves jut into the space, housing around 50,000 books from all fields of knowledge. Behind unassuming book spines lie remarkable treasures, such as the first German Bible printed in America.

At the end of the 17th century, the orphanage's library was established as one of the first public libraries in Germany. Primarily through donations, book exchanges, and their own publications, the library grew so rapidly that within a few years, it was comparable to significant German university libraries. In 1728, it received its own building, which is considered the oldest surviving secular library structure in Germany. Not only in recent times has the library been visited by guests and researchers from around the world: Albrecht von Haller, Johann Joachim Winckelmann, and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe all admired its bibliophilic treasures. We present a selection of them for you in rotating cabinet exhibitions in the former reading room of the library.

10 am - 5 pm