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.

Union-Theater in Fürstenwalde / Germany

It's always a surprise when I find a nice old cinema postcard and find out that the cinema is still being used. The cinema Union-Theater in Fürstenwalde (50 km away from Berlin) opened on December 18th, 1909. Then it had 400 places (I counted about 180 seats on the picture). Today, the cinema Filmtheater Union has 150 seats.

The postcard was sent in 1911 - 111 years ago. Another surprise - the cinema is mentioned on the back.

The Rietsch family wrote to Mr Lepke in Parchim (in German handwriting Kurrent): 

"Zur Erinnerung an den Kinntopp sende (ich) Ihnen die besten Grüße vom ganzen Personal. Jetzt bin ich dabei aus dem alten Kintopp eine Wohnung zu machen. Da gibt es viel Arbeit, Schmutz und Geldausgaben, Mit Gruß, Familie Rietsch"

"As a reminder of the Kinntopp, I send you the best greetings from the whole staff. Now I'm making an apartment out of the old Kintopp. There's a lot of work, dirt and money to be spent. Best regards, the Rietsch family."

Kintopp is a slang term for a cinema in the 1910s, especially in the Berlin area.

Emil Rietsch was the owner of the cinema until spring 1912. The new owner Otto Gerlach had later at all three cinemas in Fürstenwalde. I don't know what Rietsch wrote about converting the old cinema into an apartment.

He was also the owner of the first cinema in Perleberg, the cinema Union Theater. It has been in use since 1912, today Moviestarkino Perleberg.

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.