High costs, little money: Saxony's theaters under pressure to save money

Staff cuts

"The financial situation is extremely uncertain and the pressure is enormous," says Moritz Gogg, Director of Erzgebirgische Theater- und Orchester GmbH in Annaberg-Buchholz. If wage increases are not taken into account in the future, there is a threat of cuts. "Then we will have to cut staff or a division." Attempts are already being made to temporarily not fill vacant positions. The company is managing with a minimum number of staff, with 15 positions currently vacant.

The savings made so far have been "on the backs of the workforce, which is irresponsible and not a sustainable situation", said Gogg. "We are not asking for more money to increase operations, but to save the current situation. And this has already been brutally cut for years." Reliable and adequate funding is therefore crucial. The theater employs around 150 people and attracts around 70,000 visitors a year.

"We are currently facing a deficit of around 1.7 million euros," says the director of the Gerhart-Hauptmann-Theater Görlitz-Zittau, Daniel Morgenroth. Savings are being made wherever possible, for example by not immediately filling vacant positions. However, "cutting staff" is absolutely no solution. In view of the financial concerns of many institutions, Morgenroth says it is important and helpful to exchange ideas with one another. From April 21 to 26, his theater is hosting the 13th Saxon Theatertreffen in Görlitz and Zittau. The festival sees itself not only as a showcase, but also as a meeting place to initiate and conduct debates.

Calls for further cuts "audacious"

Morgenroth described it as "audacious" to call for further cuts to theaters. Many theatres, especially in rural areas, have done nothing but make savings in recent years. In Görlitz and Zittau, for example, staff had been reduced by a total of 15 percent since 2010, when the two locations merged.

According to the artistic director, the East Saxon theater is dependent on the two cities and the district of Görlitz as its largest shareholder. However, the budget of the financially weakest district in Saxony has a double-digit million deficit, which is why tariff increases can only be absorbed with difficulty.

The support for local authorities via the Saxon Cultural Areas Act has been increased by 35 percent since 2000 to around 105 million euros per year. However, this was offset by wage increases of 83 percent over the same period. "The burden has shifted to the municipalities," explained Morgenroth, who is also the state chairman of the Stage Association in Saxony.

Cultural capital cautiously optimistic

The situation at Chemnitz Theatre is still stable at the moment, albeit with an uncertain outlook. According to the theater, the budget for the current year is balanced. "However, there is uncertainty and concern for the following years from 2027 onwards," says General Director Christoph Dittrich. This is due to pending budget decisions at state and municipal level.

Although there is currently no deficit, the financial leeway is "extremely tight". The main challenges remain rising personnel costs due to pay rises, which can hardly be compensated for by additional income in the cultural sector. In the future, the number of jobs could also become a topic of discussion.

The Capital of Culture year 2025 is currently providing additional momentum: visitor numbers and income have developed positively and the trend is continuing. With a view to the international "Theater der Welt" festival in summer 2026, the theater is also counting on further impetus.

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