Meistersaal
[1] Even in its early days many small meetings and concerts were held within its 266-square-metre (2,860 sq ft) chamber music room located at the building's centre.
On the ground floor of the building the publishers Malik-Verlag, under the management of Wieland Herzfelde, and the Gallery George Grosz took up residence here.
[3] Furthermore, stars of the nascent silver screen made regular appearances here such as the silent film actor Carl de Vogt and Ludwig Hardt staged frequent performances in the Meistersaal.
As a result of some rather controversial exhibitions held in the ground floor gallery, which took a critical look at social issues of the times and gained some notoriety in Berlin, The Guild of Masons, who considered themselves to be representatives of conservative morality, refused to extend the leases to their unpopular tenants.
Although attempts to establish the Meistersaal as a theatre failed to make an impact, the venue became popular for cabaret performers for example the famous magician Fredo Marvelli.
Its location which once placed it at the epi-centre of a bourgeoning capital city, now left it high and dry, cut off from its public, at the centre only of a political dispute.
Amongst the famous artists of this epoque who recorded here were the composer and conductor Robert Stolz, the Tenor Rudolf Schock, Peter Kreuder, Ivan Rebroff, Erika Köth, René Kollo, Norbert Schultze, Peter Alexander as well as the Swedish singer and actress Zarah Leander.
In 1976, the music publishing group Meisel Musikverlage bought the entire building in the Köthener Straße 38 and created within it five Hansa Tonstudio studios.
Over the next years, the Meistersaal became famous worldwide within the music industry as it was the recording studio of choice for many pop stars from around the globe, including U2, Iggy Pop, Depeche Mode, David Bowie, Eartha Kitt, Richard Clayderman, Marillion,[6] Mike Batt, David Byrne, Nick Cave, Snow Patrol, Jon Bon Jovi and Supergrass to name but a few.
Rubbing shoulders with the international stars were the local heroes of the time, including Peter Maffay, Udo Lindenberg, Udo Jürgens, Roland Kaiser, Nina Hagen, Einstürzende Neubauten, Nena, Marianne Rosenberg, Die Toten Hosen, Heiner Pudelko [de], Ute Lemper, Trio, Reinhard Mey,[6] Max Raabe, Jack White and Paul Kuhn.
The falling of the Berlin Wall in 1989 meant the Meistersaal was back in the throng of things and lost some of the advantage it had had for recording music.
[8] Thomas Meisel, co-founder of the Hansa Music Produktion and owner of the building, decided to return the Meistersaal as near as possible to its original condition and run it as an event location.
[10] From October 1994 the Meistersaal was under the directorship of Kurt Lutz, co-founder of the "Berliner Globe Theatre" which had been located in what was previously the Hotel Esplanade on the Potsdamer Platz.
[11] Towards the end of 2002 Mr Lutz left the Meistersaal and was superseded by the auctioneer Mark Karhausen;[11] Although his reign, as it were, was fairly short lived too, spanning some six years.
Further architectural characteristics to be found within the room, which has also been restored to virtually its original condition, are the carefully inlaid gold cornicing on the ceiling as well as decorations on the walls through the wooden columns.
Two large French doors provide access to the Meistersaal that has a 4 x 6 m stage built-in with two adjacent dressing rooms over two floors.
The scenery, created through the unique atmosphere of the recording studios and through its location in the immediate vicinity of the Berlin Wall, is especially attractive and inspiring to Anglo-American artists.
These days visitors can experience some of the history for themselves by taking part in guided tours through the Meistersaal and the Hansa recording studios.
