History

A millennium ago, Maastricht was the capital of an area stretching from Friesland to the Vosges: Lower Lorraine. It took almost a thousand years before the spectacular discovery was made that the Vrijthof from the Lower Lorraine period had not one but two magnificent buildings. The Vrijthof was not only the square of St. Servatius Basilica, but also the square of the palace. Thanks to archaeological soil research carried out from November 1988 to August 1989, we now know that from 1000 to 1200, a large ducal palace stood on the north side of the square.

In 1224, a convent was built on the site of the palace, dealing a fatal blow to the secular power of the Duke of Lorraine, who had previously resided in the palace. In that year, on the initiative of Rudolf of Worms in Hildesheim, the Congregation of the White Women was founded. The aim of this order was to convert “fallen women”. Officially, the congregation was called Penitents of the Holy Virgin Mary, but everyone referred to them as Witte Vrouwen (White Women) because of their white monastic clothing..

Where the monastery was built on the foundations of a secular building, six centuries later – in 1805, to be precise – another secular building was constructed on the foundations of the monastery: the Generaalshuis. The client was Petrus de Ceuleneer, a tobacco and madder merchant, who commissioned François Hermans in 1803 to design and build a large city palace in the neoclassical style.

In 1825, General B.J.C. Dibbets, commander of the Maastricht fortress, purchased De Ceuleneer's house for 35,640 guilders. The name of the eventual Generaalshuis was also derived from this general, Baron Dibbets. After Dibbets, a number of other dignitaries lived in the Generaalshuis, including Generals F.B.A.P. van der Capellen and A.J.J. Des Tombe, affectionately known as “de Stoomp”, both of whom were also commanders of Maastricht.

In 1914, the building was sold to the Municipality of Maastricht. It subsequently housed the municipal museum, the municipal tax collector, the city archives, the city library and the municipal police.

The run-up to Theater at the Vrijthof 
There is some debate about when the history of Theater aan het Vrijthof began. Four dates are possible: 1948, 1978, 1981 and 1989.

In 1948, the monthly magazine Kunstschouw was founded, presenting itself as the official organ of Maastricht's municipal theatre, orchestra and art's circle. In the second and third issues, in preparation for the upcoming 160th anniversary of the municipal theatre on 27 October of that year, the history of theatre life in Maastricht was reviewed. The series of articles ended with an intriguing remark: 'Centuries pass, and as we commemorate the 160th anniversary, we eagerly look forward to the new municipal theatre located on the Vrijthof, on the site of the police station.'

The second possible starting point for the history of Theater aan het Vrijthof is 1978. In that year, the multi-year plan presented to the Maastricht city council included a reserve of 55 million in the municipal budget. Of that amount, 7.5 million could be earmarked for a new venue for musical performances, with 2.5 million reserved for operating costs. The starting point for the Muziekhuis were the requirements of its future users: the Cultural Centre and the Limburg Symphony Orchestra (now known as Philzuid).

On 15 August 1981, the green light was given for the construction of a music venue in and behind the Generaalshuis. However, Theater aan het Vrijthof had a financial shortfall that had to be filled by sponsorship from the private sector. The mayor of Maastricht at that time, Philip Houben, was convinced that finding sponsors would be no problem. And indeed, he succeeded in raising even more than the necessary sponsorship money. The names of the so-called “Guldengevers” (Golden Givers) have been given a place of honour in the building. One of the major sponsors was the Royal Dutch Paper Factory Maastricht, after which the large theatre hall is named: the Papyruszaal.

On 13 May 1985, restoration work began on the Generaalshuis, and in 1987, plans were presented to the municipality to convert the music hall on the Vrijthof into a theatre. This is how the name Theater aan het Vrijthof came about, “a name that sounds and sings”, according to mayor Houben. On 13 December 1989, the official renovation of the theatre began. Behind the Generaalshuis, the theatre was built to a design by Arno Meijs, who also designed a number of theatres for Joop van den Ende.

Theater aan het Vrijthof
Mayor Philip Houben opened the theatre on 4 January 1992 with a memorable Uit Probeer Avond (Try Out Evening). A solo performance featuring his own lyrics, monologues and songs composed by Tonny Eyk. This evening was a tribute to all twenty-nine “Generous Donors”. The first national artist was André van Duin with his Revue. Around 5,000 visitors had the opportunity to attend his revue. In March 1992, Theater aan het Vrijthof was officially opened. The event was broadcast live on television. The first director of the new theatre was Piet van Hest, former documentary maker at KRO. In 2001, he was succeeded by Jacques Giesen, followed by Guido Wevers, Hugo Haeghens, Jean Boelen and the current director Brigitte van Eck.

The Papyruszaal underwent its first refurbishment in 2003. All the seats were replaced, more seating was created and more legroom was added. In 2004, the stage tower was raised and the fly sytem was fully automated. In 2017, Theater aan het Vrijthof celebrated its 25th anniversary and a new renovation was planned. The first phase took place in 2017, during which the dressing rooms, toilets, showers and foyer for visiting artists and the public toilet facilities were renovated. The second phase began on 4 June 2018. In this phase, the Papyruszaal was renovated with innovative acoustics, theatre technical infrastructure and new theatre seats. On 4 and 6 October 2018, the Papyruszaal was festively reopened.