Built: 1829 to 1833
Builder: Georg Moller; later various renovations, in particular by city planning officer Adolf Gelius from 1910 to 1912

The order to build a theater in Mainz came from none other than Emperor Napoleon himself. Since 1797, the city had been back in French hands and was no longer called Mainz, but Mayence. Napoleon, who often stayed in Mainz, commissioned his architect J.F. Eustache de St. Far on October 13, 1804, to create Gutenbergplatz and build a theater on its northern edge modeled on the "Grand Imperial Theater" in St. Petersburg. The foundation stone was laid in the spring of 1809, but the historical events of the following years brought the project to a standstill.

Twenty years later, the commission to plan and build a theater was awarded once again—this time by the Mainz City Council to Georg Moller, Grand Duke of Hesse's chief architect and one of the most important builders of his time.

Construction began in 1829, and the grand opening of the "Grand Ducal National Theater Mainz," as the theater was named, took place on September 21, 1833. This made Mainz the fourth German city after Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich to have a large, prestigious theater.

With the construction of the Mainz Theater, Moller succeeded in creating a new architectural design that received much acclaim and attention. The visually clear purpose of the building, the separation of the stage house and the auditorium, and the visibility of the semicircular auditorium to the outside world represented a clear break with tradition and a complete departure from classical theater design. Moller's State Theater, with its revolutionary design for the time, is considered a model for Gottfried Semper's first Dresden Court Theater, among others. Moller

thus ushered in a new era of theater architecture beyond the borders of Germany. In gratitude for his meritorious achievements, the city of Mainz awarded him honorary citizenship in 1833.

The current design of the building is largely based on the extension by city architect Adolf Gelius. From 1910 to 1912, he added the foyer extension and side staircases, which caused the building to lose much of its original design and charisma.

The Mollerbau, with all its renovations, still serves as the state theater. The multi-genre venue combines musical theater, drama, and ballet under one roof. Today, it consists of four venues: in addition to the Großes Haus, the Glashaus studio stage in the glass dome, and the Kleines Haus, another theater stage, the U17, was added at the end of 2014.