ACTION! 130 Years of Cinema and Film in Cologne

With “FILM AB! 130 Years of Cinema and Film in Cologne,” the Cologne City Museum invites you to a multimedia journey through time, exploring the history of cinema and film in Cologne from October 15, 2026, through March 14, 2027. In the museum foyer’s open space, you’ll learn how closely the history of film is tied to the city of Cologne and why Cologne was one of the earliest places where cinema history was made.

The story begins in 1896. At Augustinerplatz 12, a film program was shown to a paying audience for the first time in Germany using the “Cinématographe Lumière.” The fact that this new technology came to Cologne was also thanks to Ludwig Stollwerck. The Cologne-based chocolate manufacturer recognized the potential of moving pictures and brought the Lumière brothers’ invention to the city.

Shortly thereafter, Cologne itself became a movie star. As early as May 1896, Charles Moisson filmed the cathedral, the main train station, and city life. From there, “FILM AB!” tells the story: from the first movie theaters around 1900, through the heyday of Cologne’s cinema scene in the 1950s and 1960s, and the evolution from silent film through sound film, color, television, and video to experimental forms.

The focus is on eleven short films and film clips spanning 130 years of Cologne’s film history. These include early Lumière films, the silent film crime thriller “Der Bettler vom Kölner Dom” (The Beggar of Cologne Cathedral), footage of a Fluxus happening, and the feature film “Köln 75.” The presentation is complemented by photographs of venues where Cologne residents have been watching films since 1896.

An accompanying program featuring film nights, an animation workshop, city tours, a film quiz, and other events explores the exhibition’s themes in greater depth. Admission to the Open Space is free.