Prater’s early boom years

The first recorded political gathering was a party celebrating the foundation of the General German Workers' Association. Set up by Ferdinand Lasalle in 1863, it was Germany’s first labor party. It marked its 8th birthday with a mixture of agitation, beer and dance music.

There was also Dr v. Schweitzer’s play »Goose – A Dramatic Conversation on the Extension of the Female Job Market« (Eine Gans – Dramatisches Gespräch über die Erweiterung des weiblichen Arbeitsmarktes). In 1878 Bismarck’s social legislation banned all gatherings and celebrations that had an overtly political character.

But the politically active proletariat started singing, sport and other cover associations; using Prater to continue their celebrations and agitations. After 1891, the local on Kastanienallee became a central venue for the annual May Day festivities.

It was non-political amusement that had pride of place in Prater, however. Paul Kalbo II put on special performances daily during the summer. These included musical comedies, burlesque shows, operettas, pantomimes, and puppet shows.

Color postcard of Prater from 1912

Most of the theatrical offerings tended towards patriotism – marching music to honor the Battle of Leipzig, or pieces like »Les Dragons de Villars«. In winter the ball season commenced. It attracted a mixed clientele that included merchants, civil servants, maids, respectable families, workers and soldiers.

In 1902 Martha Kalbo, the widow of Paul Kalbo III, made an application to perform classic plays of more than one act. She received approval to stage »refined« operettas fifteen times a year, alongside the regular dance hall entertainment.

Martha Kalbo was so enthusiastic that she extended the performance venue in 1905. The new building had an upper storey and an elegant façade. The large performance hall was a fully operational theatre with a fly system, thunder maker, and fire curtain.

The theatre opened on May Day with Schiller’s »Intrigue and Love«. With it started the first Prater crisis - the public preferred light entertainment, and started to desert the venue.

Martha Kalbo was too good a businesswoman to ignore the first mistake in a long line of Kalbo successes. Soon there were brass band concerts, Joe Will performing tricks on his bike, and pieces like »Oh What a Mother in Law«.