Debate in front of NRW-OVG over noise near Cologne's People's Theater

Artistic customs and practices. - Debate in front of NRW-OVG over noise near Cologne's People's Theater

For many years now, there's been a heated debate between the operators of the Volksbühne am Kölner Rudolfplatz, previously known as the Millowitsch Volkstheater, and some of their neighbors over noise-related issues. This disagreement has resulted in lawsuits over granted building permits. On Wednesday at 10:30 am, the North Rhine-Westphalian Administrative Court (OVG) will handle the case during an appeal hearing.

The association representing the theater operators is suing, among other complaints, against the residential use of a neighboring building which was initially used as a commercial printing plant. The tenant, on the other hand, is suing against the 2018 building permit given to the City of Cologne for the Volksbühne, which allowed for both theater performances and concerts. After a hearing in Cologne's Administrative Court, the court prohibited the permitted events with amplified music due to noise pollution for the neighbors. In another case, however, the Cologne judges found that noise levels in the apartment of the plaintiff were not exceeding acceptable limits and dismissed the lawsuit.

The Volksbühne operators claim they're fighting to protect existing buildings. In 2015, they expanded their events beyond just theater usage to include concerts, cabaret, and seminars. They only applied for the required building permit after they had taken over the new uses. Despite this, one of the neighbors had already received a building permit for their apartment adjacent to the event hall.

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1. Despite the 2015 expansion of the Volksbühne am Kölner Rudolfplatz to include concerts, cabaret, and seminars, which required a building permit, one of the neighbors had already obtained a permit for their adjacent apartment, fueling further noise-related disputes.
2. The appeal hearing at the North Rhine-Westphalian Administrative Court (OVG) on Wednesday concerns a lawsuit filed by the theater operators against the 2018 building permit granted to the City of Cologne for the Volksbühne, citing issues with noise pollution from concerts and amplified music.
3. In a previous legal case, the Cologne Administrative Court ruled against one of the neighbors, stating that the noise levels in their apartment were not in violation of acceptable limits, dismissing the lawsuit related to the building permit for the People's Theater and its associated activities.

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