Warsaw Theatre Directorate


The Warsaw Theatre Directorate was the chief authority for theatres in the Duchy of Warsaw in Warsaw during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was set up by decree of Frederick Augustus I of Saxony on 14 April 1810 as the Rządowa Dyrekcja Teatru, its draft statute having been developed by Wojciecha Bogusławskiego. In 1822 it changed its name to Dyrekcja Teatrów i Wszelkich Widowisk Dramatycznych i Muzycznych w Królestwie, then in 1833 to the Warsaw Theatre Directorate. It ceased to exist in July 1915.
It guided theatrical output and provided theatres with financial stability, enabling shows in Polish to be put on and new theatre buildings to be constructed. Its companies included ones for operettas, ballets, dramas, comedies, the National Theatre and later opera and farce. It had 5 buildings:
The body's president was supported by a board of governors and by directors, and from 1907 by literary managers.
FromToPresident
18101813Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz
18141820Józef Lipiński
18211830Aleksander Rożniecki
18321842Józef Rautenstrauch
18421862Ignacy Abramowicz
18621868A. Hauke
18681880Siergiej Muchanow
18801882Wsiewołod Wsiewołożski
18821889Longin Gudowski
18891892Dymitr Palicyn
18921895Aleksander Karandiejew
18951897Piotr Andriejew
18981901Paweł Iwanow
19011908Konstantin Herschelman
19081914Jurij Małyszew
19141915Jurij Burman