The history of the theater in Bydgoszcz dates back to the 17th century, when was built a special theatre hall in the city Jesuit College, able to accommodate approximately 300 people.

The first permanent theater building in Bydgoszcz was built on the foundations of now gone St. Mary's Church of the Carmelites in 1824, on today's Theatre Square.

The last restoration from 1895 to 1896, created a monumental representative, and was directed by Berlin architect and royal construction adviser Heinrich Christian Seeling.

Famous playwrights were staged off: Goethe, Schiller, Shakespeare, Kleist, Calderon, Hauptmann, Ibsen, Victorien Sardou and others.

At that time, the scene starred, among others, Ludwik Solski, Stefan Jaracz, Mieczysława Ćwiklińska, Kazimierz Junosza-Stępowski, Stanisława Wysocka and Hanka Ordonówna.

[2][3] On January 4, 1937, city mayor Leon Barciszewski performed from the building a speech, broadcast live by the nascent Radio PiK.

In 1945, during the fighting for the liberation of the city, the theatre building was hit by incendiary ammunitions, which set fire to the inside, where Soviet soldiers were billeted.

The choice of the new location was due to the presence of a former German theatre, "Elysium" in Gdańska Street: the project was officially an extension of this facility, hence getting more easily the approval of the Ministry of Culture and Art.

Distribution of seats of the auditorium were as follows: German designer Ernst Westphal took part in the interior decoration, including the suspension of a huge crystal chandelier.

The elevation was crowned by a triangular pediment, with a Tympanum (architecture) which displayed a sculpture from Ernst Westphal: the Prussian eagle holding in its claws Bromberg coat of arms, surrounded by allegorical characters.