Congress and Theatre House

In 1872, the market town bought a property called “Chanterelle Plots”, on which the Congress and Theatre House was built.

Architect Hyazinth Michel designed a "Cursaal" for Ischl, which was opened in 1875.  The domed roof truss and the four towers are the special features of the building. It was intended to be the "meeting point for foreigners flocking together from all over the world".

A social highlight was the gala dinner on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the reigning Emperor Franz Joseph, with King Edward VII of the United Kingdom as guest on 12 August 1908.

Later, the building was called "Kurhaus". In 1957, it was renovated so that operettas could be performed there. In 1961, the first operettas were performed, in concert form. During the building’s reconstruction in 1965, a devastating fire broke out, destroying the roof truss and most of the interiors. However, the building was rebuilt and reopened in 1966.

Since the Operetta Weeks were very successful, the building was rebuilt from 1997 to 1999, including today's theatre hall with stage. The name of the building was changed to Congress and Theatre House, and the “Operetta Weeks” was renamed into “Lehár Festival”.