Schillergarten-Lichtspiele in Dresden / Germany

 

Schillergarten-Lichtspiele in Dresden

The unwritten and unsent postcard is from the 1920s. You cannot see the cinema itself, only the entrance at the right and the advertising display cases behind the entrance. The cinema opened in 1911 and was known as Schillergarten-Lichtspiele from 1920 onwards.

I like this postcard because it still looks the same there 100 years later. 

Here my photos from May 2026, and the chestnut trees were blooming again.

The entrance with the cinema building at the back

The Blue Wonder-Bridge at the left, the Elbe river, Loschwitz with the 

funicular railway and the suspension railway on the other side of the Elbe

 

A passenger ship is passing by. Steamships like the one on the postcard are still operating.

And the cinema building itself

Since 1911, the cinema has been located in a former ice cellar of the Schillergarten restaurant.  It existed until the 1970s. Then the building became a lost place.

The Schillergarten was renovated and reopened in 1994—without a cinema. It is now a listed monument. Since 2004 in the former cinema building (in the former ice cellar), food and drinks are served for the open-air restaurant.

Ausstellungs-Kinematograph in München / Germany

This well-preserved postcard dates from 1908.

To celebrate the city's 750th anniversary, an arts and crafts, industry, trade, and commerce exhibition entitled "München 1908" was opened in May 1908 at the newly built exhibition grounds on Theresienhöhe. 

It attracted around 3 million visitors – thanks to modern public relations efforts that included postcards.

The exhibition ran until October 1908, the cinema was used during the summer months until 1914. The building was constructed using timber framing, for a period of about 5 years and for 400 people. The cinema was built by the architect Otho Orlando Kurz (1881-1933). It was the first freestanding building built solely for film screenings in Munich, and possibly in all of Germany. And it was the second biggest cinema at this time in Munich. 

Next to it there was also a shadow play theatre and a puppet theatre.

The cinema was run by Wilhelm Sensburg, a German cinema pioneer. It was common practice for cinema owners to make short films about daily attractions and sights themselves and show them to the public as soon as possible.

I found some good information about this cinema in the book "Für ein Zehnerl ins Paradies. Münchner Kinogeschichte 1896 bis 1945".

BBB in Berlin-Kreuzberg / Germany

I found this postcard at the Stadtmuseum in Berlin in autumn 2025. It was an advertising card for the exhibition Berliner Höfe / Berlin Backyards. The photo was made by Ludwig Binder about 1976.

The cinema opened in 1911, and it was very badly damaged in the war. The building was reopened on February 11, 1955, according to the plans of architect Pierre de Born and named in reference to the pre-war cabaret "Berlins Bunte Bühne - BBB". It was no ordinary cinema - in front of the 14-meter-wide Cinemascope screen sprayed the world's largest water organ. And live performances could take place on a 200-m²-stage. But the era of big movie screenings was soon over.

From at least 1975 onwards, films in Turkish were shown here for Turkish-speaking cinema-goers. ATA FILM with Dr. Sakir V. Sözen operated this cinema until its demolition in 1977. 

Grenzland-Lichtspiele in Ebersbach in Sachsen / Germany

 

This cinema opened in 1936 in Ebersbach - and it's still open!

Grenzland-Lichtspiele means Borderland Cinema and goes to its situation on the border with the Czech Republic, just across from the Czech town of Jiříkov. Another cinema Grenzland-Lichtspiele opened in 1919 in the town Neustadt in Sachsen, about 35 km away (and also still shows movies). Perhaps they have more in common than their proximity to the Czech border.

Later the cinema had the names Schauburg and Filmtheater.

The cinema in Ebersbach (since 2011 Ebersbach-Neugersdorf) has worked since 2008. Then it had to close because it needed renovations. But the owner didn't have the money. After careful consideration, the city bought the cinema and had it renovated. The prerequisite for this step was that the cinema would be operated as a non-profit afterward.

Fifteen film and culture enthusiasts came together and have been running the cinema since 2011. With a lot of enthusiasm and support, good films are shown here several evenings a week at Filmtheater Ebersbach.

The postcard was sent in 1943. On the roof you can see advertising for a hotel in the same building. Unfortunately, you can't read the film posters.

Stubnitz-Lichtspiele in Sassnitz / Germany

 

Sassnitz is a town on Germany's largest island, Rügen.

The 1992 closed cinema Stubnitz-Lichtspiele is a listed building. I found this information on the website (very detailed and with many pictures) of Landesdenkmalpflege Mecklenburg-Vorpommern:

"In 1948, a fish combine founded in Sassnitz with 2000 employees and the location with a Baltic Sea port led to the young town developing into an important GDR industrial location. In this context, numerous apartments and schools were built. The planning for the construction of a representative cultural center was already made in 1955, initially a different location was planned for this. 

The rapid development of the former fishing village into a town finally led to the construction of the cultural center with an integrated cinema, restaurant and spa, which was completed in 1958. With its location next to the train station and in a prominent urban development position, the Stubnitz cinema quickly developed into the cultural center of the town. 

For the development of post-war architecture in the GDR, the cinema building in Sassnitz is an important architectural document of socialist realism with a very good original tradition and state of preservation of high testimony value. The building is impressive in terms of design, functionality and quality of workmanship and was built in a traditional 1950s style, comparable to the cinemas in Crivitz, Lübz, Plau am See, Malchow and Pasewalk. With its extensive original condition and its architectural quality, the cinema in Sassnitz is one of the most important surviving cinema buildings of the 1950s in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania."

The name Stubnitz for this cinema refers to the hilly forest landscape near Sassnitz. 

The postcard was published in 1962.

Parkhof-Lichtspiele in Harksheide / Germany

 

Harksheide now belongs to the city of Norderstedt and borders Hamburg.

The cinema Parkhof-Lichtspiele opened in 1938. It were located in a building that had formerly been the historic customs station on the border between Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein, converted into a hotel at the end of the 19th century. The hall of this Parkhof-Hotel was remodeled into a cinema by Gustav Krausmann and Jan Cornils with 375 seats.

In 1958, the cinema was converted to Cinemascope so that films could be shown on a widescreen. In March 1970, the Parkhof-Lichtspiele closed, and in 1972 the entire complex was demolished.

The postcard was sent in 1942. On the backyard, there is written: "Parkhof Ochsenzoll. Tanz-Kaffee. Bes. Carl Hierlmeyer". You can see advertisement for the film Carl Peters. It is a 1941 German historical drama film directed by Herbert Selpin (1902-1942). It was produced as an anti-British propaganda film during the Second World War. Hans Albers (1891-1960) portrays German colonial leader Carl Peters (1856-1918), Bayume Mohamed Husen (1904-1944) plays his native guide.

Capitol in Königs Wusterhausen / Germany

 

This cinema in Königs Wusterhausen next to Berlin was built and opened on 22 October 1930 with the name Lichtspiele Bahnhofshotel. The owner of the Bahnhofshotel Gustav Schulz built this cinema, it was called Capitol in 1932.

The movie theater worked until 2000. After it was closed due to the construction of a new multiplex cinema 3 km away, the cinema was used by other businesses. However, the charm of the building was never lost and demanded its original purpose.

In 2005, Wolfgang Jurk, the former movie theater manager, and his wife Anne reopened the Capitol with a new concept as a place of culture and since then the Capitol has been offering films on the screen and culture on the stage.

The cinema has one hall with 93 seats in the stalls and 35 seats in the gallery.

Look here a short film about cinema's history.

The postcard was published in 1967. You can see advertisemnet for the film "Solange Leben in mir ist" - a 1965 GDR movie about Karl Liebknecht (1871-1919).

Theater des Friedens in Letschin / Germany

Letschin is a small town in the Oderbruch on what is now the Polish border. The place was badly damaged in the last days of World War II. To my knowledge, the cinema in Letschin is the first cinema building built in the GDR. It opened in 1950  with the name Theater des Friedens - Theater of Peace.  There was a cinema, a cultural center and restaurant. The restaurant closed in 1958.

In 1960 the cinema was converted into a cinema for widescreen films. The last cinema event was in 1991. The cinema finally stopped operating for cost reasons and unclear ownership.

In 1993 the building and land could be purchased by the municipality of Letschin. it was possible to renovate the outer facade a year later.

In 1995, the association Altes Kino e.V. was founded with the intention of revitalizing this venue and creating a center for different generations to live together, promoting social integration and cultural life in the community and beyond. After the reopening on January 29, 2000, the “Altes Kino e.V.” association took over the use of the building and also the recommissioning of the cinema technology.

Today, the house with the name Haus Lichtblick has a small café and also houses the municipal library. A blockbuster is shown every month in the cinema, and interesting special programs (including eco-film tour, children's film festival, Brandenburg film discussions) take place regularly. Thanks to its flexible furnishings, the cinema hall is also a venue for theater and cabaret performances, concerts, readings, discussions and cabaret performances and much more. Back to its roots as a cultural center.

The postcard was printed in 1961. 

Rats-Lichtspiele in Osterode / Germany

Cinema Rats-Lichtspiele (Council's cinema) opened  on October 14, 1949 with the German film Der Bagnosträfling.

The large hall of the the 1550s timber-framed house "Ratswaage" (Council's Scale) was expanded into a modern cinema with 394 seats.

It closed in 1966 and converted into a discotheque. The former cinema hall was destroyed by fire in 1969, but the gable end remained.

The cinema is advertising the film Die größte Schau der Welt / The Greatest Show on Earth, a 1952 US-American Hollywood Circus film. The German premiere was on December 25, 1952.

Filmtheater in Crivitz / Germany

Crivitz in North Germany (former East Germany, GDR) is located around 20 kilometers east of Schwerin and around 21 kilometers northwest of Parchim on the river Warnow.

The cinema was built in 1954. This was intended to bring culture to the countryside so that people stay in the village and work there. The building has used as a house for cinema and theater and named Kulturhaus (House of Culture) from 1974 till 2004. Then there was a restaurant.

It is planned to use the building again as a cultural center.

The postcard is from 1963.

Kammer-Lichtspiele in Flensburg / Germany

 

On the right side of the street you can see advertising for "Tonfilm (Talkie)" and the film Der schüchterne Casanova - a 1936 German film, directed by Carl Lamač with Paul Kemp and Fita Benkhoff. 

In 1936, there was the cinema Kammer-Lichtspiele on Norderstrasse 45. 

It is the second cinema in this building. In  November 1927, the cinema Gloria-Palast with 416 seats opened its doors and shut them in February 1932. Johannes Schümann reopened the cinema as Kammer-Lichtspiele and has showed films there until April 1945. On September 26, 1945 there was again a cinema - Roxy-Filmbühne. The Roxy later also used as a concert hall.

The building was demolished in 2008.

Cinemaxx in Berlin / Germany

The Cinemaxx in Berlin opened on September 3, 1998 in the newly developed Potsdamer Platz / Leipziger Platz area. 

For 25 years it was Berlin's cinema complex with the most seats - 3,434 seats in 19 halls.. The Cinemaxx was an important venue for the Berlin International Film Festival / Berlinale.

In 2023, electrically adjustable luxury leather chairs with tablets were installed in all halls. This reduced the total seating capacity of the house from 3,434 to 1,411 seats. At the same time, the lamination of all screens was attached to CinemaScope in 2023 and is no longer variable in any hall.

The outdoor area was also remodeled. The postcard with the photo taken by Jürgen Henkelmann is no longer current. 

You can find all the facts about this cinema and meaningful pictures in the Kinokompendium.

Lichtspiele in Hannoversch Münden / Germany

You see the cinema Lichtspiele on the left site on Lange Strasse. It opened on November 16, 1931. 

The house itself was built in 1582  It is a valuable Münden merchant houses from the late Renaissance. 

The cinema was known as Schiller-Lichtspiele (according to the name of the operator). The cinema hall, which now has 272 seats, is located in the courtyard of the half-timbered house.

With the Covid 19 crisis, the cinema's economic difficulties worsened and it closed in autumn 2020. The team from Capitol in Witzenhausen took over the cinema in Hann. Münden in 2021. It was not easy, but there are still shown films now in the Capitol Hann. Münden.

It's not easy to say when the photo was taken. You can read cinema advertisements above the entrance: "Mary Lou - Lya Mara". It is the 1928 German film Mary Lou with Lya Mara. If the cinema opened in 1931, the film must have been released later than 1928 there. 

Abaton in Hamburg / Germany

 

"Cinema is a sacred place" - the Greek word for sacred place is Abaton (ἄβατον) and the well chosen name for this cinema in Hamburg. To this day, the cinema benefits from being number 1 in the alphabetical list of Hamburg cinemas at the online Film- und Fernsehmuseum Hamburg and also in the overview of the daily newspapers.

Cinema Abaton was founded on October 29, 1970. The cinema with one hall and 450 seats was set up in a building used as a parking garage. At the same time, the large screening room had to be able to be used as a lecture hall by the nearby university during the day.

At the opening the Greek director Constantin Costa-Gavras was also present, whose film The Confession premiered here and was one of the opening films. From day one, the cinema owners' aim was to manage a cinema with non-mainstream programming. The cinema has retained this claim to this day.

The Abaton cinema has today 3 halls with total 520 seats.

I like the cinema's slogan: "Komm mein Schatz, es dunkelt schon, wir woll'n doch noch ins Abaton." ("Come on, my darling, it's already getting dark, we still want to go to the Abaton.") The slogan is printed on the backyard on this advertising postcard. The photo is taken by Andreas Doria in February / March 2010.

The cinema is advertising these films:

- Hier kommt Lola - a 2010 German children film (came to German cinemas on March 04, 2010)

- Verdammnis / Flickan som lekte med elden - a 2009 Swedish crime thriller film (came to German cinemas on February 4, 2010)

- Unsere Ozeane / Océans - a 2009 French documentary (came to German cinemas on February 25, 2010)

Köszönöm Zoltán, ezt a képeslapot is!

Columbia in Berlin / Germany

 

The free-standing cinema building in Berlin-Tempelhof was built in 1951 for members of the US Air Force who were stationed at Tempelhof Airport. With its rounded, sweeping shapes and shiny materials in a 1950s design, the Columbia is a typical post-war cinema.

The cinemas Outpost in Berlin-Dahlem and L’Aiglon in Berlin-Wedding two more cinemas belonging to the former allies.

When the Allies withdrew from Berlin, the cinema was closed by the Americans and handed over to the Berliners and has been used as a club and event location for a variety of events since 1998. Now there is a theater - the Columbia Theater (since 2015). 

The modern postcard shows a view of this theater. The photo was taken by Gunnar Klack.

Danke, Nadja, für die Karte!

Ufa-Palast in Hamburg / Germany

 

The Ufa-Palast was a part of the Deutschlandhaus in the middle of the picture. The eight-story building was built in steel frame construction between 1928 and 1929 based on designs by Fritz Block and Ernst Hochfeld. 

The cinema was opened on December 21, 1929. First shown movie was Die weiße Hölle vom Piz Palü / The White Hell of Pitz Palu (Germany 1929, directed by Arnold Fanck and Georg Wilhelm Pabst). At that time it was the largest cinema in Europe with 2,665 seats. The Ufa Palace was used until 1944, when a fire caused by an aerial bomb destroyed the building.

From 1946 to 1949, the English occupying forces rebuilt the confiscated house and making structural changes. The destroyed cinema was not restored. The Deutschlandhaus was used as an office building in a modified form and was demolished in 2019.

Capitol in Parchim / Germany

This postcard is from 1953. Parchim is a small town in northern Germany. The cinema at the old market opened in 1929. At that time it was called U.T., later Capitol.

Even later it was given the name Theater der Freundschaft / Theater of Friendship. 

Look at this photo: 

Friendship in this context meant, above all, friendship with the USSR. Until the early 1990s, Parchim was the largest Soviet military airfield in the GDR.

What happened to the airport later can be seen in the documentary film Parchim International.

Today there is the Movie Star cinema in Parchim.

The building is still standing and now there is an Indian shop.

My grandparents lived in Parchim for a few years when I was little. I don't think we went to the cinema together.

Wendelstein-Lichtspiele in Degerndorf am Inn / Germany

 

Wendelstein is a 1,838-metre-high (6,030 ft) mountain in the Bavarian Alps in South Germany - the mountain in the middle of the photo.

In 1936, Josef Reheis built the Filmtheater Degerndorf-Brannenburg, a 295-seat cinema hall. The movie theater had such a large audience that a second cinema hall was added in 1955. After enlargement the cinema was called Wendelstein-Lichtspiele. The cinema closed in 1969.

I think, the owner Josef Reheis was a relative of Max Reheis (1869-1936). Max Reheis was a famous cyclist in his youth, later he had a bike shop. He opened the cinema Stadt-Kinematograph in Rosenheim in 1909 and the Central-Kinematographen-Theater in Salzburg in 1912.

The postcard was sent in 1963.

Lichtspiele in Anklam / Germany

Anklam is a small town in north-eastern Germany, today with 12,000 inhabitants. In 1989, here lived approximately 19,000 inhabitants. At this time, there were a cinema and a theatre. The theater is still being used under the name Vorpommersche Landesbühne.

The 1992 feature film Stilles Land tells about a theater in the north German provinces in the autumn of 1989 in the dying GDR. The ensemble of an (unnamed) small town theater is rehearsing the play Waiting for Godot. The film is Andreas Dresen's first feature film. Today he is one of the best-known German directors

The feature film about a cinema in the GDR has not yet been shot.

The cinema Lichtspiele was opened in 1914 with 450 seats and closed in 1990 (or later). The building no longer appears to be standing. I like the figures on the building.

The 1959 sent postcard was printed in the 1950s.  At that time, the street was called Stalin-Strasse. Today the street's name is Pasewalker Strasse, it was the Stettiner Strasse in 1914.

Panorama in Berlin-Britz / Germany

 

The Panorama Filmtheater was built in 1958/1959 in Berlin-Britz, planned by the architect Gerhard Fritsche. From 1951 to 1961 he was involved in 17 cinema projects, above all in West-Berlin.

The free-standing building had a futuristic shape, the outer wall caught the eye with its bluish-white block stripes. At that time there was a row of shops in this cinema building.

The cinema had 893 seats with high-upholstered armchairs from Schröder & Henzelmann. With a Zeiss Ikon and Ernemann X projection apparatus and Zeiss Ikon amplifiers and loudspeakers, widescreen films could be shown in 1:2.35 and 1:2.55 in CinemaScope with one-channel optical sound and four-channel magnetic sound. 

In 1980 the cinema was closed and a supermarket opened and is still in use. The building is a listed monument.

The photo was taken in 1961/62, the postcard was sent in 1968. The cinema advertises the movie Die Irrfahrten des Herkules / Goliath contro i giganti / Goliath against the Giants (Italy / Spain 1961, directed by Guido Malatesta. The movie came to West German cinemas on December 8, 1961. The German version was 8 minutes shorter than the original and the hero's name was Hercules and not Goliath.