Theater im Marienbad

What Theater im Marienbad does

Theater im Marienbad is a children's and youth theater operating under the legal entity Freiburger Kinder- und Jugendtheater e.V., a registered non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) in freier Trägerschaft located at Marienstraße 4 in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. The theater has occupied a 1902 Art Nouveau former public bath since 1989, with the original swimming pool converted into the main 'Szenenraum' venue (capacity up to ~100) and the basement engine room converted into the smaller 'Kesselhaus' venue in 2002/2003. Core operations are run by 15 permanent ensemble members, supplemented by freelance collaborators in technology, visitor services, finance, and public relations, with leadership split between Artistic Director Sonja Karadza and Commercial Director Alexander Lepach since 2017.

The theater's product is live theatrical performance for audiences aged 4 and up, with an active repertoire of 12+ productions spanning contemporary plays, devised work, and adaptations of classic literature, many of which run across multiple seasons. Supporting products include mobile productions touring to schools and kindergartens, theater mediation services (preparation sessions, premiere classes, accompaniment materials), the 'Vom Beckenrand' podcast, foyer art exhibitions, and gift vouchers. Distribution is multi-channel: a vivenu-powered online shop, day and evening box offices, and dedicated school/group bookings via email and phone, with marketing across website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Vimeo, email newsletter, and press coverage in outlets such as Badische Zeitung and Die Deutsche Bühne.

The business model is a hybrid of public institutional funding and earned revenue. Core operating support comes from the City of Freiburg and the State of Baden-Württemberg under the Baden-Württemberg Modell cultural funding program; earned revenue is generated through ticket sales (€19 adult, €9.50 youth/reduced, €4–€5 for Freiburg Pass holders), group bookings (€9.50 per student/child for school and kita groups of 10+ or 5+ respectively, with up to two accompanying adults free), gift certificates, and donations via the supporting Förderverein. The organization became debt-free in June 2023 after seven years of repaying building renovation costs.

Name

Theater im Marienbad

Legal name

Freiburger Kinder- und Jugendtheater e.V.

Website

https://marienbad.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Theater im Marienbad is a non-profit children's and youth theater in Freiburg, Germany, operating two venues in a 1902 Art Nouveau bath building with a 15-member ensemble, a 12+ production repertoire, mobile school tours, and theater mediation programs funded primarily by the City of Freiburg and the State of Baden-Württemberg.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's and Youth Theater

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)

Keywords

• Children's theater performances
• Youth theater productions
• Live theater performances
• Theater mediation services
• School theater programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Freiburg Im Breisgau

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Individual tickets for performances sold through online shop, day box office, and evening box office. Revenue from performances for children, youth, and adults across two venues (Szenenraum and Kesselhaus).
2. Gift Certificates: Gift vouchers sold at custom values for theater visits, redeemable for any performance with free choice of production.
3. Institutional Funding: Core operating funding from City of Freiburg and State of Baden-Württemberg as an independent registered association in free trusteeship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Theater im Marienbad operates a year-round children's and youth theater in Freiburg, Germany, producing live theatrical performances for audiences from age 4 and up across two in-house venues (Szenenraum and Kesselhaus). The theater offers ticket-based attendance at scheduled productions, mobile productions that tour to schools and kindergartens, school/kindergarten group programs with preparation and follow-up workshops, gift vouchers, and a biennial festival co-organized with Theater Freiburg and E-Werk Freiburg.

Product overview

Theater im Marienbad is a children's and youth theater in Freiburg, Germany, operating primarily as a live performance venue with two fixed spaces (Szenenraum and Kesselhaus) plus touring productions. The core offering consists of year-round theatrical productions ranging from contemporary plays to classic literature adaptations for audiences of all ages. Supporting services include school and kindergarten programs with preparation workshops, a podcast series, art exhibitions in the foyer, gift vouchers, and a biennial international festival. The theater does not offer a software product or digital platform—the 'products' are live theatrical experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• vivenu GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology platform provider for online ticket sales and event management. Handles payment processing and customer transactions for ticket purchases. Provides the technical infrastructure for the theater's e-commerce operations.
• Reservix GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party ticketing service mentioned in privacy policy as the platform through which ticket (pre)sales are processed.
• Theater FreiburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the 'performing democracy' festival, held every two years together with Theater Freiburg and E-Werk Freiburg.
• E-Werk FreiburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the 'performing democracy' festival, held every two years together with Theater Freiburg and Theater im Marienbad.
• ASSITEJminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Association of Theatre for Children and Young People; membership in professional network for children's and youth theater.
• Deutscher BühnenvereinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman stage association; membership in professional theater industry organization.
• Kultur macht reich FreiburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal cultural network in Freiburg for cultural education and outreach.
• Arbeitskreis Junges Theater Baden-WürttembergminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking group for young theater in Baden-Württemberg; regional network for youth theater.
• Akademie der Darstellenden KünsteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademy of Performing Arts; artistic director Sonja Karadza is a member.
• Freunde und Förderer des Theater im Marienbad e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting association founded in 2006; connects patrons, citizens, students, families, companies, and institutions who care about the theater; collects donations for special projects.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Polka Theatre: London-based dedicated children's theater producing year-round repertoire for ages 0–14 with strong school-bookings program. Comparable in mission, repertoire breadth across age groups, and education-partnership GTM.
• Junges Theater Bonn: Independent children's and youth theater in Bonn of comparable size and repertoire breadth. Direct peer in the German freie Trägerschaft children's/youth theater segment with a similar mix of classic adaptations, devised work, and school outreach.
• Theater an der Parkaue: Berlin's state youth theater (Junges Staatstheater) with a multi-venue setup and broad repertoire for young audiences. Direct peer in scale, mission, and ensemble-based production model.
• Grips Theater: Berlin's best-known children's and youth theater, operating multiple spaces and producing original work for young audiences. Highly comparable mission, repertoire strategy (classic + devised), and school/bookings GTM.
• Junges Schauspiel Düsseldorf: The youth-programming arm of Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus, producing dedicated children's and youth seasons with school group bookings. Comparable in repertoire mix and educational programming.
• Scharlatan Theater: Small Munich-based children's and youth theater producing original and adapted repertoire. Comparable in ensemble size, freie Trägerschaft structure, and school-outreach focus.

Broad incumbents

• Münchner Volkstheater: Munich's municipal theater with dedicated children's and youth programming. Comparable freie Trägerschaft-adjacent funding model but operates at substantially larger scale and a broader repertoire.
• Theaterhaus Stuttgart: Larger Stuttgart venue complex with extensive young-audiences programming across multiple halls. Overlaps in target audience and school GTM but operates at a much larger, multi-genre scale.

Regional players

• Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe – Junges Staatstheater: State theater in Karlsruhe (Baden-Württemberg) with a dedicated Junges Staatstheater program. Same state funding ecosystem and youth-theater programming mandate as Theater im Marienbad.
• Württembergische Landesbühne Esslingen: Baden-Württemberg state touring theater with a dedicated children's/youth program touring schools. Comparable in regional state funding model and touring school productions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7nfaSIF0Yg-GrqSvpsBRFA
• Facebookfacebook.com/marienbadtheater
• Instagraminstagram.com/theater_im_marienbad
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theater-im-marienbad

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Theater im Marienbad