Unter Den Linden National Opera

Staatsoper is the Berlin State Opera. It is located at the end of Unter Den Linden, opposite Paris Square. The original building was commissioned by Frederick II in the mid-eighteenth century. It opened without the work being finished, in 1742. It is a famous place where Mendelssohn and Richard Strauss directed concerts. There was a major renovation in the 30s. In the Nazi regime, many Jewish composers fled the country. During the partition of the city, the opera house was on the east side, and continued to present contemporary ballets and operas. Now there are three opera houses in the city.

The Linden opera, has a very large repertoire and gives a lot of importance to the works from Mozart's time and to the modern age. It was built in 1741 by architect Knobelsdorff under the order of King Frederick II, who was a big fan of the arts. The National Opera Unter den Linden is the first opera house to be built as it's own independent building separate from a palace or a castle. Nowadays it is under the direction of Daniel Barenboim. The Staatsoper has international fame and in 2004 both the orchestra and the chorus were declared the best in Germany.