A decision to revitalize the building was made out of concern for the future of this historic structure. It is an architectural gem, but the scale of renovation work it requires had discouraged potential investors. The city is taking responsibility for caring for and revitalizing the building. As the city authorities emphasize, efforts will also be made to obtain funding from external sources.
Renovation work at the Summer Theatre will begin after the revitalization of the Knights’ Academy is completed. “The Summer Theatre has repeatedly been put out to tender for lease or sale,” says President Tadeusz Krzakowski. “However, this did not produce the expected results, and interest from potential investors was limited. In this situation, I decided to begin preparations for renovating this historic building. The renovation is necessary because the Summer Theatre should properly serve the city’s residents and visitors.
The first stage will be the preparation of documentation. It is also important to examine the needs and expectations of Legnica’s residents regarding the building’s future function.
The actual work will begin once the renovation of the Knights’ Academy is complete. Two representative halls—the royal hall and the riding hall—are currently being renovated there. The work is well advanced. It is worth recalling that the city has spent nearly PLN 50 million of its own funds on the renovation of the Knights’ Academy. The revitalization of the Summer Theatre will be considerably less expensive.
President Tadeusz Krzakowski emphasizes that the Summer Theatre building is entirely owned by the city. Therefore, there will be no problems here like those involving the Ognisko cinema. For years, a court case has been ongoing to restore the municipality’s full ownership rights to the cinema building. Only after such a ruling will the city renovate the building, where a concert hall is planned.
The Summer Theatre is an architecturally very interesting building in the Municipal Park. After the war, it served the Soviet Army. Ceremonies and dances were held there. When the Russians left, the city took over the theatre. It then leased it to a businessman who organized discos there. However, they did not enjoy a good reputation. Almost 10 years ago, the city took the building back from the tenant. The next lessee failed to meet his financial obligations. In this situation, the city took over the theatre again three years ago. Tenders for its lease were unsuccessful. The renovation will open a new chapter in its history.
Legnica Municipal Office