Zeughaus.
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Photo: Zeughaus |
For many years now, music-lovers in our region have supported our Zeughaus concert series. They know what to expect: chamber music performed to the highest international standards,and the excitement of seeing the soloists close to.
The concert hall – once the nave of an erstwhile 17th-century chapel – ensures ideal acoustic conditions and unforgettable orchestral and choral experiences. The acoustics of this hall, long and narrow at first sight, make it an ideal venue for solo voices and small string ensembles to blossom to the full.
History of the Zeughaus
The Zeughaus (the former arsenal) was built in the mid-17th century. Between 1637 and 1802 the present ensemble of buildings served the members of the Franciscan order as their church and monastery. In 1699 the Franciscans opened their own theological training college in the monastery and took over the Jesuit grammar school. The building has been the property of the municipality of Neuss since 1803.
After the addition of two more storeys the church was initially leased to the Prussian State. From 1826 to 1864 a territorial regiment stationed in Neuss used the nave of the church as an arsenal It was later used for storage by local businesses.
The church’s conversion into a theatre and concert hall with a stage and gallery for the audience in 1923. It was severely damaged in the Second World War, but was reinstated as a festival and concert venue in 1949. In 1952 it acquired an organ, but this was removed seventeen years later in the course of extensive restoration works.
From 1803 the erstwhile monastery building adjacent to the nave of the church housed a secondary school and then from 1852 to 1889 the state grammar school, which in 1875 became the royal grammar school. After its 1923 conversion a pub restaurant called the “Zeughausstübchen” was opened here. From 1925 to 1944 the monastery building became the headquarters of the Rheinisches Städtebundtheater (the Rhine association of civic theatres).
For five years after the building’s postwar restoration the Neuss city council held its meetings there.
In the 19th century the Zeughaus had served as a storage depot for weapons, hence its name. Today it is used as a multi-purpose venue for concerts and other functions. Demand for it has increased significantly since its renovation in 1999.
Zeughaus
Markt 42
41460 Neuss
Phone: 02131 260 00