Kino Ideal

Kino Ideal is a cinema brand in Aarau, the capital of the Swiss canton of Aargau. It traces its origins to the early twentieth-century cinema pioneer Georg Eberhardt, who built up a chain of cinemas in the city after gaining experience in the United States and eastern Switzerland. The Ideal opened in 1947, in the post-war upswing, and with around 500 seats it quickly became the flagship of Eberhardt's Aarau cinemas, its interior evoking a touch of Hollywood glamour. For decades the Ideal was one of the defining movie theatres of Aarau, alongside the earlier Kino Schloss. It formed part of a local cinema monopoly held by the Eberhardt family enterprise, which shaped film exhibition in the city for much of the twentieth century. The cinema screened mainstream feature films and became a familiar fixture of Aarau's cultural and leisure life. In the present day the Ideal is operated within the Kino Aarau AG group, whose website presents the combined programme of the Aarau cinemas. The group offers multiple screens, Dolby 3D technology, and a broad slate of regular and special programming, including 60+ afternoon screenings, anime, craft cinema nights, family shows, ladies' nights, and broadcasts of Royal Ballet and Opera performances. It also provides private cinema hire, gift ideas, and advertising services. The Ideal thus represents both a piece of Swiss regional cinema history and a living commercial brand within a modern multiplex-style operation. Its identity is closely tied to the city of Aarau and to the Eberhardt family's pioneering role in bringing moving pictures to the canton.

Cinema came to Aarau early: a first permanent cinema opened in the cantonal capital in 1909, and the 'moving pictures' met with great enthusiasm. The location in the Hammer district, however, was far from ideal. After moves via Bahnhofstrasse, the Hotel Kettenbrücke and the Rain, Georg Eberhardt — who had gained his cinema experience in the United States and in eastern Switzerland — built the first modern cinema at Kasinostrasse 38. There, in the so-called 'Revolverküche', audiences mostly watched Western heroes and clever detectives, and the silent action on screen was accompanied by a 'house orchestra', not always to the audience's delight. Georg Eberhardt's entrepreneurial courage and business foresight led in 1929 to the opening of a branch at Schlossplatz — the Kino Schloss, which was converted for sound film shortly after it began operating. From then on, full-length feature films such as Charlie Chaplin's 'Gold Rush' and 'The Kid' flickered across Aarau screens. 'Schorsch' Eberhardt knew how to read the signs of the times, which included skilful dealings with film distributors. In 1947, during the early post-Second World War upswing, a third cinema was added: the 'Ideal'. With 500 seats it soon became the flagship of the group and, through its interior, exuded a touch of Hollywood. The Eberhardt enterprise held a monopoly in Aarau for a period, dominating local film exhibition. The Ideal remained a central Aarau cinema in the following decades. Today it is operated as part of Kino Aarau AG, whose website presents the combined programme of the Aarau cinemas, including current and upcoming films, specials, and events. The group offers multiple auditoriums, Dolby 3D, and a varied events programme — 60+ afternoon cinema, anime, craft cinema nights, family screenings, ladies' nights, and Royal Ballet and Opera broadcasts — alongside private cinema hire, gift ideas, and advertising. The Ideal's name thus continues as a living brand within a modern, locally rooted cinema operation.

• 1947

  Kino Ideal opens with 500 seats, becoming the flagship of the Eberhardt cinemas.

• 1929

  Georg Eberhardt opens Kino Schloss at Schlossplatz, soon converted for sound film.

• 1909

  First permanent cinema opens in Aarau.

A historic Aarau cinema brand, now part of a modern multi-screen local cinema group offering mainstream and special-event programming.

• Cinema screenings

• Dolby 3D screenings

• Special event screenings (60+, anime, family, ladies' night)

• Royal Ballet and Opera broadcasts

• Private cinema hire

1. 1Kino Aaraukinoaarau.ch
2. 2Geschichte | Kino Aaraukinoaarau.ch
3. 3Kino Idealwikidata.org