Der Schatzgräber (The Treasure Hunter) is an opera in a prologue, four acts and an epilogue by Franz Schreker with a libretto by the composer.

He then broke off to attend to a revision of Das Spielwerk und die Prinzessin and compose the Chamber Symphony, returning to Der Schatzgräber in the summer of 1917.

[2] The last production during the composer's lifetime was in Oldenburg in October 1931[1] whereafter, under the Nazis (who took power in 1933), Schreker's music was banned due to his Jewish ancestry.

[1] The Netherlands Opera in Amsterdam staged a new production conducted by Marc Albrecht and directed by Ivo van Hove, in September 2012.

[6] In May 2022, the Deutsche Oper Berlin staged a new production by Christof Loy, conducted by Marc Albrecht with Elisabet Strid and Daniel Johansson in the leading roles.

[8] This production was also staged at the Opéra national du Rhin in Strasbourg in October 2022 conducted by Marko Letonja.

The king seeks the advice of his fool who knows about Elis, a wandering minstrel whose magic lute has the ability to hunt down hidden treasure.

He fetches Elis, who sings his most beautiful ballad for Els about a fairy-tale palace where they will be welcomed as Prince and Princess.