The first record of actors in town was in 1746. In 1753 the town administration authorizes performances held by a touring German theatre company. Later on, the German theatre activity was supported by companies coming on tour, and it became one of the town’s attractions. In 1758, a hall designed for theatrical performances was arranged in the former building of the Serbian magistracy, where today stands the "Nikolaus Lenau" Theoretical High School. In the period between 1852 and 1870, the touring shows, especially those from Vienna, often extended for entire seasons.

In 1875 the "Franz Joseph" Theatre was inaugurated – today known as the Palace of Culture. In 1899, the theatre activity in German language was interrupted as a result of an administrative decision, but singular shows still took place, held by Viennese companies, up to the second decade of the 20th century, included.

After 1920, the professional theatre activity in the German language was resumed – with variable consistency – temporarily with the authorization of the German Cultural Office in Sibiu, and afterwards through the German National Theatre in Sibiu, which produced shows that were later performed in all areas where Germans lived. In 1940, this theatre was monopolized by the national and socialist ideology, and it ended up by being closed before the end of Second World War.