When was the last time you actually went to the theater? If the answer is “it’s been a while,” then August is the best time to change that. That’s because the Knights’ Plays take place in Kiefersfelden all month long—a unique spectacle you shouldn’t miss. After all, you can visit Munich’s theaters all year round, but in Kiefersfelden, you only have this opportunity once a year. So seize the moment and take a trip to Germany’s oldest folk theater.
A truly one-of-a-kind experience
The village theater in Kiefersfelden has been around since at least 1618, making it the oldest of its kind in Germany. But that’s not the only thing that makes this theater special. Its historic stage dates back to 1833 and is today the only intact revolving-wing proscenium stage still in use. As the complicated name suggests, it features movable parts that allow the stage set to be adjusted and changed by hand.
Before the theater was renovated in 1833, the troupe primarily performed Passion plays here. Starting in 1813, knight plays began to appear more frequently, and after the renovation in 1833, they completely took over the new stage. Since then, the Kiefersfelden knight plays have been an annual tradition that you won’t find anywhere else in this form.
Kiefersfelden’s “Shakespeare”
Since switching to knightly plays, the Kiefersfelden Village Theater has drawn from its own repertoire of 19th-century manuscripts for its annual performances. To this day, the theater’s archive has not been fully cataloged, but it includes numerous plays by the Tyrolean charcoal burner Josef Georg Schmalz. Twelve of his 23 plays about robbers and knights are in the theater’s collection, where Schmalz is also known as the “Peasant Shakespeare of Kiefersfelden.”
This year, the Kiefersfelden Knightly Plays present “Ubald von Sternenburg, or The Avenger at the Coffin,” also penned by Schmalz. You can look forward to a story full of love, intrigue, and twists—as well as some comical moments. The amateur actors will be on stage for you through August 30 to tell the story of Ubald and his Rosa. Tickets start at just €9, so don’t miss this opportunity—come join us at the Kiefersfelden Knightly Plays!
📍 Location: Theaterweg 7, 80388 Kiefersfelden
📅 Dates: August 15 & 16, August 22 & 23, August 30 & 31
💶 Price information: Starting at €9, 50% discount for children
