Hamburg has secured an agreement with the Kühne Foundation to build a modern opera house in HafenCity, following recent negotiations. Mayor Peter Tschentscher praised the initiative as a significant opportunity for the city’s arts scene, while ensuring that taxpayers won’t bear construction costs, which will be covered by the foundation. However, concerns about transparency and community involvement have been raised, particularly from critics advocating to keep the historic state opera at its current site. The project awaits parliamentary approval.
Hamburg’s New Opera House Agreement
The city of Hamburg has reached a significant agreement with the Kühne Foundation to construct a state-of-the-art opera house at Baakenhöft in HafenCity. This development comes in the wake of a last-minute cancellation by entrepreneur Klaus-Michael Kühne for a notary appointment earlier this week, prompting further discussions before the official announcement.
On Friday, Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) and Cultural Senator Carsten Brosda (SPD) were joined by Jörg Dräger, the Managing Foundation Council of the Kühne Foundation, and Karl Gernandt, President of Kühne Holding AG, to unveil the agreement and the contract for the planning and execution of the opera house. This event followed a week of intensive negotiations, initially expected to conclude with an announcement on Tuesday.
A Bright Future for Hamburg’s Arts Scene
Tschentscher hailed Kühne’s involvement as a ‘commendable step’ that represents ‘a generous gift, a stroke of luck, and a tremendous opportunity for Hamburg.’ The new venue aims to offer ‘optimal conditions’ for the Hamburg State Opera, the Hamburg Ballet, and the Philharmonic State Orchestra, ensuring a vibrant cultural future for the city.
While the contract does not specify a financial figure, Dräger indicated that the Kühne Foundation is committed to a substantial investment, emphasizing that the foundation would reject any unreasonably high costs. ‘If, for instance, the price tag reached a billion, the foundation would decline,’ he stated, yet assured that the foundation has made significant pre-planning efforts with the clear objective of establishing a new opera house.
Cultural Senator Brosda reassured the public that there is no risk to taxpayers, as all construction expenses, including any potential cost overruns, will be covered by the Kühne Foundation. The city of Hamburg is anticipated to contribute a maximum of around 150 million euros primarily for storm surge protection measures.
Furthermore, the existing state opera, a historic monument dating back to 1955, will be preserved as a cultural landmark. The Kühne Foundation will play a crucial role in the architectural competition, holding both a say and a veto right. Once completed, potentially by 2032, the new opera building will be transferred to the city’s ownership. Brosda noted significant interest from various stakeholders in the project.
However, the proposal is not without controversy. Critics, including the monument association led by Chairwoman Kristina Sassenscheidt, have initiated a petition to keep the state opera in its current location. Sassenscheidt expressed concerns over the decision-making processes being dominated by a single financier, likening it to feudal governance.
Additionally, some Hamburg residents feel excluded from the conversation regarding the need for a new opera house, with concerns raised about the lack of transparency in the planning process. Heike Sudmann from the Left Party has pointed out that discussions on important topics, such as colonial history, have been neglected.
The future of Hamburg’s cultural landscape now hangs in the balance as the Hamburg Parliament must approve the new opera house plan before the two-year preliminary planning phase can commence. As conductor Kent Nagano advocates for the necessity of a modern opera house to enhance the opera repertoire, the debate continues over whether this ambitious project aligns with the city’s cultural needs.
This topic will be featured in the upcoming program: NDR 90.3 | Hamburg Journal | February 7, 2025 | 7:30 PM, with additional coverage from NDR 90.3 Aktuell on February 7, 2025, at 9:00 AM.