Enlarge image
Laughing and shooting society in Schwabing: close the shop for the time being
Photo: Axel Heimken / dpa
The Munich laughing and shooting society, which is suffering from financial problems, has filed for insolvency.
This emerges from a message from the lawyer of Bruno Jonas, one of the shareholders of the cabaret institution.
A new start with Stefan Hanitzsch as managing director had "failed entrepreneurially and personally," according to the letter signed by Jonas and co-partner Laila Nöth.
There had been a long dispute about the orientation of the stage and a financial concept for the future.
According to Bayerischer Rundfunk, there have been no performances in the establishment, often simply called the "shop", in the 1970s cult district of Schwabing for about a week.
This step paves the way for a legacy-free transfer of the important venue out of insolvency, according to the statement.
Mayor called for a coherent and viable concept
The cabaret artist Dieter Hildebrandt was one of the co-founders of the ensemble, which began in 1956 with Klaus Havenstein, Hans Jürgen Diedrich, Ursula Herking and director Sammy Drechsel.
Despite a few crises and changes in the ensemble, the small theater on Ursulastrasse in Schwabing has become a legend.
A few days ago, the mayor of Munich, Dieter Reiter (SPD) and cultural advisor Anton Biebl, also campaigned for the preservation of the cabaret stage.
A meeting to mediate in the dispute between Jonas and Nöth and the third partner Stefan Hanitzsch had apparently failed.
A further discussion with the group of participants does not seem sensible at this point in time, Reiter explained afterwards.
"My idea was to bring all the people involved to one table and explore what options there were for the continuation and resumption of the game," said Reiter on Monday.
Biebl and he came to the conclusion "that a further discussion with the group of participants does not seem sensible at this point in time".
The head of the Munich City Hall warned: For funding and support from the city, however, management is needed "that can present a clear business plan and a coherent and viable concept for the survival of the laughing and shooting society".
The corona pandemic has significantly exacerbated the financial problems of the laughing and shooting, Nöth and Jonas justified the interruption of the game at the beginning of the week.
They want to review the legal and financial implications of the situation.
apr/dpa