Thingstaette

Cut into the slope of the Heiligenberg above Heidelberg, this open-air amphitheatre was designed by Hermann Alker and dedicated in June 1935, built for the mass theatrical gatherings then being promoted across Germany. Its terraces hold some 8,000 seated, with standing room for a great many more. American forces used it after the war for jazz concerts and church services. The site is now municipal property and a protected monument, reached on foot or by bus at weekends, and open to events in the warmer months.