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1900-1901: The brick building, originally known as the 8th mechanical workshop, was erected as an industrial hall on the eastern edge of the former Essen Krupp cast steel factory.
World War II: The hall was not destroyed during the war, but the statue of the Alfred Krupp memorial in front of the workshop was toppled by aerial bombs.
1983-1987: AEG-Kanis rented and later owned the factory building, producing steam turbines initially and later gas turbines. Gas turbines and compressors were manufactured for the natural gas pipeline from Siberia to Western Europe.
1991: After AEG-Kanis relocated, the building was placed under monument protection.
January 1993: Plans were made to convert the old brownfield site into a more attractive area for tourism and new industries.
July 1994: A usage concept was presented to convert the industrial building into a musical theater, and it was named Colosseum Theater as a tribute to the Varieté Theater that existed in Essen from 1899 to 1929.
May 1995-December 1996: The building was converted into a musical theater by the architects Kohl & Kohl. The original steel construction and glazed roof were preserved, and the stage tower and auditorium were integrated. The theater hall could accommodate over 1400 people, and the foyer had space for around 2000 people.
1996-2000: Stella Entertainment AG operated the theater.
August 2000: Stage Entertainment took over the musical venue after Stella AG's insolvency. From this point on, musicals were no longer performed at the Colosseum Theater.
February 17, 2020: The RAG Foundation and energy company E.ON purchased the Colosseum with plans to establish a center for innovation from July 1, 2020.