The Heckentheater in Mirabell Garten
Salzburg, Austria
The Heckentheater in the Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg is one of the oldest green theatres north of the Alps. Today, it is often regarded as one of the finest examples of this topiary theatre architecture tradition, a distinctive feature of Baroque garden design originating from the Italian Renaissance.
Various sources tell slightly different stories about its establishment. It was probably conceived as early as 1691 and constructed in the following years (1704–1718) by the Austrian architect and sculptor Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. The design was later modified in 1719 by the gardener Matthias Diesel. The theatre formed part of a series of additions to the gardens with a theatrical theme, including the well-known Dwarf Garden and a labyrinth adjoining the theatre. The latter allowed performers to enter the semicircular stage from different sides.
The stage itself is raised and framed by two statues of reclining lions. Today, the audience area is equipped with benches for seated spectators, whereas in the Baroque period the convention would have been that the audiences stood. The last remaining section of the original structure, the “Prince’s Box,” was separated from the theatre during the construction of the Mozarteum Foundation building in 1914. Today it is part of it’s nation garden.
Historically, the theatre hosted performances such as pantomimes, small operas, and ballets. Both the theatre and the labyrinth likely also served as spaces for play and social interaction—integral to the pleasures that the garden offered. It is worth noting that the labyrinth, in a Christian context, symbolises the winding path of life and invites introspection. In this sense, the theatre and the labyrinth together may also be seen as a representation of the artist’s inner journey towards outward expression through performance.