Forest Opera

Start of the war, end of communism; the tri-city has got some big anniversaries coming up, but one that shouldn’t be forgotten is the centenary of Sopot’s Forest Opera. Located in a forest valley this open-air amphitheater is one of Poland’s top concert venues, certainly it’s most picturesque. So what’s the story behind it then? Back in 1909 Paul Walther-Schaffer, bandmaster supreme at
the music theatre in Gdansk’s Coal Market, took a walk Sopot way and stumbled across a big clearing hemmed in by steep hills and old trees. ‘Wow, great place to hold a concert’, he no doubt thought. Mayor of Sopot, Max Woldman, agreed and it wasn’t long before a building permit was confirmed. Designed by the bandmaster, and supervised by Paul Püchmüller, construction proceeded at lightning speed, and the finished work was unveiled four months later.