15 September 1856 the inauguration of this beautiful little theater building took place attended by the nobility who felt that they no longer were in the shadow of Stockholm and its grand opera house.
The general public was divided into two camps - there were those who thought that the theater was situated right out in the suburbs and others were of the opinion that at last  the second town of Sweden had reached some cultural status. The illustration shows what it looked like nearly 150 years ago - today it is called The Avenue and the main street of Gothenburg.
Both the exterior and the interior resemble the Semper Opera in Dresden - the fashion of the time called for lots of gilt, red plush and crystal chandeliers. Grand sweeps of stairs for the audience, rickety ladders for the performers, beautiful foyer - cramped dressing rooms with few facilities. Those were the conditions for the artists of yesteryear...
1994 the new Gothenburg Opera opened - the old theatre is still there, the word "demolition" is now seldom heard and I, for one, hope that this beautiful old building with all the memories which it holds for me, will stand for ever.