Abandoned British military theatre to become cultural hub for German community, with the help of Black Country-born university academic
It was built to provide entertainment for British troops stationed in Germany in the 1950s and help keep them connected with home.
Now an abandoned military theatre and cinema is being brought back to life with the help of a Black Country-born university academic who is hoping to unlock the mysteries of its past.
Volunteers in Germany have raised 275,000 euros to buy The Globe, built on the site of the Oldenburg-Donnerschwee barracks in 1954, and plan to transform the building into a regional cultural venue.
Dr John Goodyear, who grew up in Rowley Regis, is searching for people who served in Oldenburg between 1945 and 1958, as he writes a cultural history of the building which will also help to form a blueprint for future use of the theatre.
“There were once 66 of these British military theatres in Germany and this is the last of its kind in the country. The Globe has a very special history as it was built for the British Army to entertain troops with films and theatre and inform them of what was happening at home and abroad with news reels.
“The building was also used to train soldiers before it was taken over by the Bundeswehr in the late 1950s after Germany became part of NATO. The site was abandoned in 1991 and the building was left to decay, with nobody taking care of it.
