Inaugurated in 1880, the Italian Renaissance-style Alte Oper (‘old opera house’) anchors the western end of the Zeil-Fressgass pedestrian zone. Burnt out in 1944, it narrowly avoided being razed and replaced with 1960s cubes and was finally reconstructed between 1976 and 1981 to resemble the original, with statues of Goethe and Mozart gracing its ornate facade. Except for the mosaics in the lobby, the interior – closed except during concerts – is modern.
