Brendan. "The Renaissance-Theater." Cabaret Berlin. April 30^th, 2012. http://www.cabaret-berlin.com/?p=630.

"Geschichte Des Renaissance-Theaters 1919 bis 1926." Renaissance Theater Berlin. Accessed November 13^th, 2017. http://www.renaissance-theater.de/cms.php?id=9.

"Renaissance-Theater." Visit Berlin. Accessed November 13^th, 2017. https://www.visitberlin.de/en/renaissance-theater.

Zieda, Margarita. "Renaissance Theatre." Another Travelguide.Com. Accessed November 14^th, 2017. http://www.anothertravelguide.com/connoisseurs_guide/europe/germany/berlin/20_of_the_worlds_most_legendary_and_unique_theatres/renaissance_theatre/.

The Renaissance-Theater Berlin underwent many changes from the time of its construction to modern day, and even withstood World War II with minor damages. As it closed its door in 1933 and rooms were rented out in the 1940s, the preservation of the building is imperative. Following the end of the war, as previously mentioned the British Forces gave a license to Dr. Kurt Raeck to reopen the theater. This theatre was operational throughout what some historians called the 'Golden Twenties' which at times were not so golden.[8] Berliners were faced with economic hardship as well as spiritual confusion as the Kaiser abdicated in 1918 and Hitler's rise in 1933. At the time of the creation of the theater, artists were struggling to reconcile high art and pop culture as it had drifted and they were trying to create a cultivated environment in which people of all types could experience the vibrant life of Berlin culture in the 1920s.[9] Cabaret culture can

be viewed as a cultural rebellion with influences from art and commerce. Many of the early cabarets in 1910 were used and still are for entertainment, and were tailored to the pleasure-seeking public, tourists, and the wealthy.[10] Prior to World War one, cabarets stressed the importance of conspicuous consumption and eroticism that lent itself to the uniqueness of Berlin. The transition from political satire to more music based shows occurred during this time, which transitioned cabarets to becoming less controversial. With the great depression in America, Germany faced economic hardship themselves which contributed to the rise in wealthy audience members and hence made the cabarets, bars, restaurants, and nightclubs more exclusive and then the shows then catered to a more elite class.[11] Nightlife became a site for socialization among everyday people as well as politicians where excitement could be seen throughout as described in a poem "vermilion mouth, that ached from being gay".[12] Following WWII, when the theater was reopened under the monetarization of the Western allies, the cabarets in the East were doing something that some deemed to be forbidden and this gave them a sense of importance whereas cabaret in West Berlin was only banned once.[13] East and West Berlin presented their cabarets in different styles, but they had a common purpose which was to bring a sense of normalcy to the people of Berlin.

Sources

Cummings, Scott T. "Not Just a Cabaret." American Theatre (January 1992).

Dow, Dorothy. "Cabaret." Poetry 24, no. 2 (1924): 70

Lareau, Alan. "The German Cabaret Movement during the Weimar Republic." Theatre Journal 43, no. 4 (1991): 471-90.

McNally, Joanne M. "Shifting Boundaries: An Eastern Meeting of East and West German 'Kabarett'." German Life & Letters 54, no. 2 (2001): 173-190.

[1] Brendan, "The Renaissance-Theater," Cabaret Berlin, April 30^th, 2012, http://www.cabaret-berlin.com/?p=630.

[2] Margarita Zieda, "Renaissance Theatre," Another Travelguide.Com, Accessed November 14^th, 2017.http://www.anothertravelguide.com/connoisseurs_guide/europe/germany/berlin/20_of_the_worlds_most_legendary_and_unique_theatres/renaissance_theatre/..

[3] "Renaissance-Theater," Visit Berlin, Accessed November 13^th, 2017, https://www.visitberlin.de/en/renaissance-theater

[4] Brendan, "The Renaissance-Theater."

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] "Renaissance-Theater," Visit Berlin.

[8] Scott Cummings, "Not Just a Cabaret," American Theatre (January 1992).

[9] Alan Lareau, "The German Cabaret Movement during the Weimar Republic," Theatre Journal 43, no. 4 (191): 471.

[10] Ibid, 473.

[11] Lareua, 474.

[12] Dorthoy Dow, "Cabare,." Poetry 24, no. 2 (1924): 70..

[13] Joanne M. McNally, "Shifting Boundaries: An Eastern Meeting of East and West German 'Kabarett'," German Life & Letters 54, no. 2 (2001): 483.

Berlin in the 1920s was when cabarets were at their height of emergence. They offered a wide variety of shows, and performances that everyone could enjoy. The night life in Berlin boomed with new actors, actresses and singers coming onto the stage, but also allowed for individuals to explore their sexuality as Berlin was a hot spot for vibrant life. Cabaret culture allowed those to deviate away from cultural norms and experience something new and exciting, sometimes in the worst of times, such as the wars. As many of these cabarets were at their height during the rise of Hitler and the Nazi regime, many were forced to close as the cabaret culture went against what Hitler believed and thought to be a true Germany. Through the points of interest that were explored, the tour reveals that many of the cabarets that existed prior to World War II, were shut down at the hands of the Nazi regime and many performers who were Jewish were banned from performing on the German stage. Additionally, many of the performances and performers were imperative to Berlin culture as they expressed various themes through their work, such as expressing political thought and ideas and popular forms of art. Many of these buildings were destroyed, however some had minimal damage that had to be repaired, prior to reopening following the war and continuing Berlin cabaret culture. What was learned is that entertainment in the form of cabarets was, and continues to be, an important aspect in Berlin culture.