Zimmertheater Rottweil — Summer Theater in the Bockshof

Open-air theater in the medieval Bockshof

The Bockshof is one of Southern Germany's most beautiful open-air stages — a historic courtyard in the old town of Rottweil (Rottweil district, Baden-Württemberg), directly below the medieval Pulverturm (powder tower) and the city wall. Rottweil, founded in 73 AD as the Roman Arae Flaviae, is the oldest city in Baden-Württemberg and impresses with an almost completely preserved medieval town center. When the Zimmertheater Rottweil performs in the Bockshof during the summer, theater and city history combine for a unique open-air experience.

Summer Theater 2026 — Fairy Tales for the Whole Family

The 2026 summer theater season, like in previous years, is dedicated to popular fairy tale material. Two productions will be staged on the open-air stage in the Bockshof:

• "Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten" — Premiere on Saturday, June 27, 2026. Staged by Peter Staatsmann and Sophie Reyer after the Brothers Grimm.
• "Das kalte Herz" — Premiere on Thursday, July 2, 2026. Stage adaptation of Wilhelm Hauff's famous Black Forest fairy tale.

Both productions will be performed numerous times throughout the summer — typically from late June to early/mid-August, depending on weather and schedule. Matinee and evening performances alternate; the detailed schedule is available at zimmertheater-rottweil.de.

Artistic Direction Peter Staatsmann

The Zimmertheater Rottweil is one of Baden-Württemberg's most important independent theaters outside the major venues. For many years, Peter Staatsmann has been the artistic director, shaping the theater's profile between classical adaptations, fairy tale productions, and contemporary original works with an ensemble focus. While the regular season takes place in the theater building, the Sommertheater im Bockshof has been the flagship event and highlight of the season for years.

"Das kalte Herz" — Black Forest Fairy Tale for the Stage

Wilhelm Hauff's "Das kalte Herz" (1827) is one of the most famous German literary fairy tales. It tells the story of the charcoal burner's son Peter Munk, who trades his warm heart for a stone one in the Black Forest to become rich — and in doing so, loses everything he truly loved. The play's themes fit perfectly with Rottweil's location on the edge of the Black Forest and is a standard repertoire item for southern German summer theaters.

"Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten" — Grimm Classic Retold

The production of the Brothers Grimm tale, adapted by Staatsmann/Reyer, emphasizes the fairy tale's humorous, yet socially conscious and animal-welfare-oriented subtext. The donkey, dog, cat, and rooster — the outcasts who band together to become town musicians in Bremen — are particularly well-suited for the open-air stage and a family audience.

Rottweil — Oldest City in Baden-Württemberg

The city of Rottweil (approx. 25,000 inhabitants) is located on the upper Neckar River between the Swabian Jura and the Black Forest. It is famous for the Rottweiler Fasnet (one of the most important Swabian-Alemannic Carnival strongholds with a historic jester's guild), the TK Elevator Test Tower completed in 2017 (Germany's tallest accessible observation tower), and the almost completely preserved medieval old town. The Bockshof with the powder tower is one of the most beautiful spots in this old town — and in the summer, it becomes a theater stage.