 Public interest in theatrical works and opera arose in Lübeck in the early days of the Age of Enlightenment and the first opera production in the city took place on 2 June 1746 in the house of master craftsman Schröder Ecke on the Königstraße.The predecessor of the current building dates from 1752.The transition of the company to the city in the 19th century is described by Thomas Mann in his novel "Buddenbrooks".