Clubkino Siegmar

Clubkino Siegmar is an arthouse cinema in Chemnitz, Germany, and the only daily-programming art house in the city. It occupies a heritage-listed Jugendstil building with an attached hall in the Chemnitz-Reichenbrand district. The multi-storey 'Medien-Haus' contains two cinema auditoriums (180 and 30 seats), the Chemnitzer Filmwerkstatt (media education and film production), a café and a photo laboratory. The cinema is one of the few East German club cinemas that survived the political changes of 1989/90. Typical of this cinema form are its small capacity, swivel chairs largely grouped around tables, and a bar directly at the rear wall of the auditorium. The auditoriums generally do not have a continuous rake but are arranged in terraces. Employees of the East German film exhibition system devised these special cinemas in the 1970s to counter a sharp decline in audiences, offer more service and cinema experience, and generate higher revenues. Clubkino Siegmar mainly shows current European and American arthouse films. At regular intervals, new productions of the Chemnitzer Filmwerkstatt are also presented on the big screen. The cinema operators also fulfil film requests from guests. Around 250 films are shown annually in 2,150 screenings. For its 'good annual film programme', the cinema received certificates from the Federal Government Commissioner for Cultural and Media Affairs in 1996, 1997 and 1998. In 2001, Clubkino was awarded the main prize at the 'Kinopreis des Kinematheksverbundes' (category cities over 250,000 inhabitants), along with a prize of 10,000 Marks. The year 2011, with over 40,000 visitors, was the strongest since the Wende. The cinema is operated by the Chemnitzer Filmwerkstatt, which took it over in 1996 after heated debates about closure plans. The Filmwerkstatt also runs media education projects and film production, and its website documents numerous awards for media education work.

The Jugendstil front building, which today houses the box office, office, projection rooms, Filmwerkstatt and photo laboratory, was built by the Koppe family, a puppeteer family, in 1914 or 1915. While they lived on the upper floor, they used the ground floor for a (confectionery?) shop and puppet theatre performances. From the 1920s, the Koppes showed silent films and called their establishment 'Koppes Lichtspielhaus'. Mr Koppe also acted as a cinema narrator. In 1937, with financial support from the town of Siegmar-Schönau, the Koppes built the hall at the rear of the building that is still in use today. The film theatre, now called 'Lichtspielhaus Capitol', opened on 26 November 1937. The cinema had around 600 seats in stalls and loge, a stage and a lighting system. It was thus suitable for a variety of events. Seven employees worked in the cinema in 1941. The 'Capitol' probably played continuously during the Second World War, apart from war-related restrictions such as early closing times. The air raids on 11 September 1944 and 2 March 1945 severely damaged the cinema, but it was repaired. In December 1945, the owner Koppe was initially stripped of his trade licence for 'political unreliability'; as of 1 January 1949, under the Lichtspieltheatergesetz of 10 December 1948, the cinema fell to the state of Saxony. Koppe was financially compensated for the expropriation. At the end of the 1940s, eight employees organised two screenings on weekdays and two to three on Sundays. The cinema then offered 577 seats (37× loge, 90× reserved seats, 180× first class, 270× second class). The loges were removed in the early 1960s, and the seating was rearranged at the same time. An exterior wall that had remained unplastered for decades after war damage was also renovated during this period. During the winter of 1981/1982, the Bezirksfilmdirektion Karl-Marx-Stadt converted the dilapidated 'Capitol' film theatre into a club cinema. Of the former 580 seats, 100 remained, arranged around tables on five terraces. A counter was installed at the rear wall of the hall, a stage was erected in front of the screen, and the room textiles were renewed. On 20 April 1982, the former 'Capitol' reopened as the third club cinema in the Karl-Marx-Stadt district. The celebration was part of the II. National Feature Film Festival of the GDR. After the Wende, the cinema was initially operated by the city of Chemnitz; after heated debates about closure plans, the Chemnitzer Filmwerkstatt finally took over the cinema in 1996. The cinema has since been run by the Filmwerkstatt, which also uses the building for media education and film production. The cinema's directors have included Richard Koppe (until 1945), Albert/Bruno König (1946–?), Rudi Marschhauser, Lisbeth Rosner (–1970), Harald Reibetanz (1970–1990), Rüdiger Oertel (1990–1993), Herr Jahn (summer 1993) and Thilo Götz (since September 1993).

• 2011

  Over 40,000 visitors, the strongest year since the Wende.

• 2001

  Awarded main prize at 'Kinopreis des Kinematheksverbundes' (cities over 250,000 inhabitants) with 10,000 Marks.

• 1996

  Chemnitzer Filmwerkstatt takes over the cinema after closure debates.

• 1982

  Converted to club cinema; reopened on 20 April 1982 as third club cinema in Karl-Marx-Stadt district.

• 1949

  Cinema expropriated by the state of Saxony as of 1 January 1949.

• 1944

  Severe damage from air raids on 11 September 1944 and 2 March 1945; later repaired.

• 1937

  Hall added; 'Lichtspielhaus Capitol' opens on 26 November 1937.

• 1920

  Koppes begin showing silent films as 'Koppes Lichtspielhaus'.

• 1914

  Jugendstil front building constructed by the Koppe family (1914 or 1915).

Arthouse cinema and media education centre in Chemnitz, preserving the East German club cinema tradition.

• Arthouse film screenings

  Mainly current European and American arthouse films, around 250 films in 2,150 screenings annually.

• Chemnitzer Filmwerkstatt productions

  New productions of the Chemnitzer Filmwerkstatt presented on the big screen at regular intervals.

• Media education programmes

  Media education and film production activities run by the Filmwerkstatt, with numerous awards.

1. 1Aktuellfilmwerkstatt.de
2. 2Eine kleine Geschichte unserer medienpädagogischen Auszeichnungenfilmwerkstatt.de
3. 3Clubkino Siegmarwikidata.org
4. 4Clubkino Siegmarde.wikipedia.org