Over 600 red theatre seats vanish from Bocholt stage house; city files criminal complaint
More than 600 red folding seats from the municipal stage house in Bocholt, North Rhine-Westphalia, have been missing for over a year after a reupholstery contractor in Lower Saxony broke off contact. The city has filed a criminal complaint and is now negotiating with heritage authorities over replacements.
The vanishing seats
More than 600 red folding seats from the municipal stage house in Bocholt, a town of over 70,000 residents in the Westmünsterland region, have been missing for more than a year. The city had commissioned a company in Lower Saxony to reupholster the seats after a public tender, but contact with the firm broke off shortly afterward. The public prosecutor's office in Hildesheim has opened an investigation following the city's criminal complaint, though the whereabouts of the potential suspect remain unknown.
The location of the possible accused is unknown.
Failed attempts at recovery
The city made repeated efforts to compel the contractor to fulfil the agreement. Written reminders, deadlines, and attempted deliveries of formal notices all proved fruitless, according to municipal officials. The criminal complaint was ultimately filed against the managing director of the company. No further details about the firm or the individual have been disclosed by authorities.
The replacement question
With the original plan to reupholster the existing seating now impossible, the city is pursuing a replacement procurement. A municipal spokesperson said discussions are underway with heritage protection authorities to determine how closely any new seats must resemble the original red folding chairs. That determination will significantly influence the cost of the replacement purchase.
It is about how exactly the replacement chairs must resemble the old seats. This significantly influences the costs for a replacement procurement.
Ongoing construction at the complex
The seat disappearance unfolded against the backdrop of a broader renovation and expansion of the town hall and the adjoining municipal stage house, a complex built in the 1970s. The construction work is extensive, and the stage house itself is being expanded. During the renovations, performances have been relocated to alternative venues, including the historic town hall.
The season ahead
A spokesperson for the Stadttheater Bocholt association confirmed that the upcoming season, running from summer 2026 to summer 2027, will also take place in the already established alternative venues. The missing seats do not appear to have disrupted the performance calendar, though the auditorium remains without its original furnishings as the legal and procurement processes continue.
