Cyprian Kamil Norwid Theatre in Jelenia Góra

The Cyprian Kamil Norwid Theatre in Jelenia Góra is one of the oldest still-operating drama theatres in Lower Silesia. The building on the corner of Aleja Wojska Polskiego and Sudecka Street has operated continuously for over a hundred years, changing name and national affiliation over that time, but not its function as a theatre stage.

House of Art and Associations

The building was erected in 1904 as the House of Art and Associations, in German Künst und Vereinshaus. It was designed by the architect Alfred Daehmel, who gave it a form characteristic of what is known as Jelenia Góra Art Nouveau, a local variant of art nouveau popular in the town at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The Art Nouveau detailing on the facade is still visible today and sets the building apart from the surrounding architecture.

Municipal Theatre and the Polish stage

Over time the building functioned as the Municipal Theatre in Jelenia Góra, in German the Stadttheater Hirschberg. After the Second World War, on 23 August 1945, it resumed operation as the Lower Silesian Theatre in Jelenia Góra. The first production of the Polish stage was Aleksander Fredro's The Revenge, in which the cast included Adam Hanuszkiewicz and Kazimierz Dejmek, actors later known from other stages across the country.

The Norwid name and years of flourishing

The theatre has borne its present name, commemorating Cyprian Kamil Norwid, since 1974. The period of particular growth is considered to be the directorship of Alina Obidniak, held from 1973 to 1988 and again in 2000. During this time the company gained recognition beyond the region and went on tour to other countries, which for a drama theatre operating outside a major academic centre was the exception rather than the rule.

A building under conservation protection

The theatre building is entered in the register of historic monuments under number A/5043/634/J, by a decision of 4 April 1980. Conservation protection covers the entire Art Nouveau structure, so subsequent renovations and maintenance work are carried out while preserving the historic decoration of the facade and interiors. For visitors to Jelenia Góra, the building is one of the points worth seeing even without a ticket to a performance, while walking around the town centre.

Practical information

• Address: Aleja Wojska Polskiego 38, Jelenia Góra.
• Within less than a kilometre of the theatre stand the Castle Gate Tower, the Wojanów Gate and the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, so a walk after the performance can be combined with sightseeing in the old town.
• Right next door is also the Museum of the Karkonosze Society, now the Regional Museum.
• The repertoire, box office hours and current ticket information should be checked directly on the theatre's website before your visit.