Theatre visits in Mainz will now be permissible for students, while in Wiesbaden remains the location.

The General Students' Committee (AStA) of Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU) has announced a new collaboration with the Hessian State Theatre Wiesbaden, following a dispute with the State Theatre Mainz.

The disagreement, which has been ongoing, centred around the theatre's demand to double the contribution from one to two euros per student per semester. This increase was intended to cover a newly introduced catering surcharge. However, the AStA rejected this proposal, arguing that it was not contractually agreed and would almost entirely consume the annual cultural budget.

Several rounds of negotiations and compromise proposals from both sides failed to reach an agreement. The theatre's cancellation of the student flat rate, which had been in place since 2011, was the result of this impasse.

Despite the setbacks, the AStA is pleased to offer this new collaboration as an "enriching" alternative. The terms of the new agreement with Hessian State Theatre Wiesbaden are the same as the original agreement with the Mainz house: one euro per student per semester.

This development is good news for students, as there are no additional costs involved. The JGU semester ticket covers trips to Wiesbaden, meaning students can now receive free remaining tickets for theatre performances in Wiesbaden instead of Mainz.

The AStA rejected the theatre's accusations of unpaid contributions for past and current seasons. The reason given for the cancellation was not accepted by the AStA.

It's worth noting that there is no current information indicating a new managing director of the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden collaborating with the General Students' Committee of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. The latest updates mention Stefan Votel becoming managing director, but at the Staatstheater Kassel from October 1, 2025.

The new cooperation with Hessian State Theatre Wiesbaden leaves the AStA with a sufficient budget for other cultural events. The AStA is hopeful that this collaboration will provide an enjoyable and affordable cultural experience for students.