Deutsche Kinemathek

Please note: The Deutsche Kinemathek is currently closed. On 23 January 2026, it will open at its new location, the E-Werk, a former substation in Berlin-Mitte.

Not only a must for film fans: the Berlin Museum of Film and Television. Over 100 years of German film history and more than 50 years of television history in East and West await you here: starting with the first jerky images of silent films and the early sound films of the early 1930s. It has almost been forgotten that silent films were already in colour. The early stars Henny Porten and Asta Nielsen shone on cinema screens in the 1920s thanks to the colourisation of the film material. The first colour television film, on the other hand, did not premiere until 1967. Another highlight is the Marlene Dietrich Collection

From Metropolis to The Blue Angel to contemporary films

1963 saw the founding of the Deutsche Kinemathek, a film archive created by director Gerhard Lamprecht. His collection formed the basis for it. In 2000, the Kinemathek moved to the Filmhaus on Potsdamer Platz. There, the extensive collection found a home in a museum. With the establishment of a television museum six years later, the Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen (German Film Archive – Museum for Film and Television) was finally created. The exhibition focuses on German film. It also displays the estates of German actors and filmmakers such as Heinz Rühmann and, in particular, Marlene Dietrich. On 23 January 2026, the Deutsche Kinemathek will open its doors at its new location: the historic hall of the E-Werk will be transformed into a large multimedia room and become a media experience world: floating gauze surfaces, video installations and projections will bring 130 years of film history to life.

History

From the 1930s onwards, Marlene Dietrich enjoyed success first in Berlin and later in Hollywood. Her appearances in men's suits and androgynous poses are legendary. The most beautiful objects from her private estate and many of her famous costumes, including the famous swan coat and men's suit, can be admired at the Deutsche Kinemathek. Memorabilia such as letters and her rag dolls, which accompanied her on all her travels, provide an insight into her private life.

See excerpts from early film highlights that have lost none of their fascination and charisma over the years: for example, Fritz Lang's silent film Metropolis from 1927, the first feature-length science fiction film. Stroll through the impressively designed historical hall, where you will be greeted by oversized portraits of film and television greats. Or where countless posters, costumes and props from old films bear witness to the magic of illuminated celluloid. The exhibition tells the story of film under National Socialism and artists in exile, the idealised world of post-war cinema and more recent successful films such as Run Lola Run and The Lives of Others.

Highlights of the museum

• Extensive private collection of film diva Marlene Dietrich
• Designs for Fritz Lang's famous silent film Metropolis from 1927
• Changing special exhibitions expand the journey through the history of film and television