The Gerhart-Hauptmann-Theater Görlitz-Zittau put its naming rights up for sale at the beginning of the current season, causing a nationwide stir. In view of the permanent shortage of money in public coffers, artistic director Daniel Morgenroth has not yet declared the campaign over, even though no one has come forward with the prospect of a sufficiently large sum.
In Morgenroth's opinion, the question arises as to whether things are too sacred to sell - such as the name of a theater named after Nobel Prize winner Gerhart Hauptmann. The idea of having the name of an international corporation such as Coca-Cola or Apple emblazoned on the building certainly provoked negative and even horrified reactions. If a local or regional company were to get involved, the idea would probably find much more understanding, Morgenroth suspects.
Financing is a huge problem
The Görlitz artistic director described the financing of municipal theaters and orchestras as a "huge problem" that has not been solved throughout Germany. Morgenroth believes that the federal government has a duty to compensate for the enormous costs of local structures worth living in general. The budget of the district of Görlitz, for example, which holds shares in the Gerhart-Hauptmann-Theater through its holding company, has a double-digit million deficit.
