Metropol
Metropol is a historic entertainment venue at Nollendorfplatz in Berlin that has operated as a theatre, cinema, discothèque, nightclub, and live-events space.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Metropol is a historic entertainment venue located at Nollendorfplatz 5 in Berlin's Schöneberg district. The building opened in 1905 as the Neues Schauspielhaus, or New Theatre, in the Art Nouveau style. Its original configuration combined a principal theatre auditorium with the Mozartsaal, a separate concert hall situated above it. The venue was part of the cultural life of the then-fashionable Nollendorfplatz area and was designed for a range of stage and musical uses rather than for a single narrowly defined format. In 1911, the Mozartsaal was converted into a cinema with 925 seats, adding film exhibition to the building's theatrical and concert functions. During the First World War, the main theatre shifted toward operetta, a role it retained for much of the following period. A major change came in 1927, when Erwin Piscator and Tilla Durieux opened the Theater am Nollendorfplatz in the building. Piscator's politically engaged theatre presented works associated with writers including Ernst Toller and Walter Mehring, and the productions were connected at different times with artists such as Bertolt Brecht, George Grosz, and John Heartfield. The enterprise became an important expression of experimental and politically critical theatre in interwar Berlin, although it entered bankruptcy in 1929. Piscator later emigrated in 1931. After the Nazi takeover, the venue returned to operetta under the direction of Harald Paulsen. Much of the building's auditorium was destroyed during the Second World War, while the facade and cinema survived. In 1951, the surviving venue was renamed Metropol. The name subsequently became associated less with conventional theatre and more with popular entertainment and nightlife. From 1977 onward, Metropol was used as a discothèque. During the 1980s, it became a prominent West Berlin music club and hosted or attracted acts from influential electronic, alternative, and post-punk scenes. Artists associated with the venue include Depeche Mode, Morrissey, The Cross, The Human League, and Front 242. The club's reputation formed part of West Berlin's distinctive pre-reunification nightlife culture, when music venues served as important meeting points for international touring artists and local subcultures. The property continued to change uses in the following decades. For a short period in 2000, it hosted the KitKatClub. In 2005, architect Hans Kollhoff remodelled the interior for the Goya nightclub. The building reopened under the Metropol name in 2019, restoring the historic venue identity while continuing its role as a nightlife and event location. Its cultural profile has also extended beyond live use: Wim Wenders filmed part of Wings of Desire there during a Nick Cave concert, and Dario Argento and Lamberto Bava used the building and the Metropol discothèque logo in Demons. Metropol's significance therefore rests on the continuity of the site across theatre, cinema, club culture, and film history rather than on a conventional consumer-product brand.
History
Metropol's history begins in 1905, when the building at Nollendorfplatz 5 opened as the Neues Schauspielhaus. Designed in the Art Nouveau tradition, it contained a principal theatre and the Mozartsaal, a separate concert hall located above it. The venue was established at a time when Nollendorfplatz was becoming one of Berlin's fashionable urban and cultural districts. In 1911, the Mozartsaal was converted into a 925-seat cinema, giving the building a permanent role in film exhibition alongside its theatrical functions. With the outbreak of the First World War, the main theatre moved toward operetta programming. That orientation continued until 1927, when Erwin Piscator and Tilla Durieux established the Theater am Nollendorfplatz. Piscator used the venue for politically and socially critical theatre, staging material by playwrights such as Ernst Toller and Walter Mehring. Bertolt Brecht, George Grosz, and John Heartfield were among the artists associated with Piscator's productions or working environment. The project helped make the venue a setting for experimental political theatre in the Weimar-era cultural landscape. Financial difficulties led to bankruptcy in 1929, and Piscator left Germany in 1931. Following the Nazi seizure of power, the building again became an operetta theatre, directed by Harald Paulsen. Wartime destruction later damaged the auditorium, although the facade and cinema survived. The surviving complex was renamed Metropol in 1951. This marked the beginning of the site's modern identity, although its function continued to evolve. From 1977, Metropol operated as a discothèque. The venue became particularly well known during the 1980s, when West Berlin's club and concert culture attracted international performers and cultivated distinctive electronic, alternative, and post-punk communities. Acts linked with the venue include Depeche Mode, Morrissey, The Cross, The Human League, and Front 242. Metropol's reputation during this period derived from its combination of a historic architectural setting, large-scale entertainment capacity, and proximity to the cultural networks of West Berlin. The venue experienced further changes in the 2000s. The KitKatClub occupied the site for a short period in 2000. In 2005, architect Hans Kollhoff remodelled the interior for the Goya nightclub, producing another transition from concert discothèque to a redesigned club environment. In 2019, the building reopened as Metropol, bringing back the name associated with its postwar and club-era history. The site has also appeared in popular culture. Wim Wenders used footage from a Nick Cave concert at the venue in his 1987 film Wings of Desire. The building, together with the existing Metropol discothèque logo, was also used by Dario Argento and Lamberto Bava in Demons. Across more than a century, the building has therefore passed through theatre, concert, cinema, operetta, discothèque, nightclub, and film-location roles. Its historical importance lies in this layered cultural use and in its relationship to Berlin's changing entertainment scenes.
- 2019
Reopened as Metropol
[1]The venue reopened under the Metropol name after its successive nightclub incarnations.
- 2005
Interior remodelled for Goya
[1]Architect Hans Kollhoff remodelled the interior for the Goya nightclub.
- 2000
Temporary KitKatClub location
[1]The building briefly served as a location for the KitKatClub.
- 1987
Appears in Wings of Desire
[1]A Nick Cave concert at the venue was filmed for Wim Wenders's film Wings of Desire.
- 1977
Begins discothèque era
[1]The venue began operating as a discothèque, later becoming a notable West Berlin music club.
- 1951
Renamed Metropol
[1]After wartime damage to the auditorium, the surviving venue and cinema were renamed Metropol.
- 1929
Piscator theatre declares bankruptcy
[1]Piscator's theatre project became bankrupt after its period of experimental programming.
- 1927
Theater am Nollendorfplatz opens
[1]Erwin Piscator and Tilla Durieux established the Theater am Nollendorfplatz, associated with politically critical and experimental theatre.
- 1914
Shift toward operetta
[1]At the beginning of the First World War, the theatre adopted operetta as its principal format.
- 1911
Mozartsaal becomes a cinema
[1]The Mozartsaal was converted into a cinema with 925 seats, expanding the building's entertainment functions.
Products and positioning
A historic Berlin entertainment venue positioned around nightlife, live music, cultural events, and the reuse of a landmark theatrical building.
Live entertainment · 1977
Live music and concerts
Metropol's modern identity is strongly associated with concerts and live music. During its 1980s club period, the venue was connected with international acts from electronic, alternative, and post-punk scenes, including Depeche Mode, Morrissey, The Human League, Front 242, and The Cross. Its event format builds on the site's earlier theatre and concert-hall functions.
Nightlife · 1977
Nightclub and discothèque programming
The venue has operated as a discothèque since 1977 and has hosted several nightclub concepts over time. Its nightlife offering has included dance-oriented programming, club events, and use by prominent Berlin nightlife operators, making club culture a central part of the Metropol identity.
Event venue · 1905
Cultural and event venue
The building functions as a flexible entertainment location whose uses have included theatre, operetta, cinema, concerts, club nights, and filmed performances. Its historic architecture and central Schöneberg location allow it to serve as both a nightlife venue and a recognizable cultural setting.
Brand decisions
2019
Reopen under the Metropol identityStrategyBackground
The site had accumulated a long history as a theatre, cinema, discothèque, and nightclub.
Action taken
The venue reopened as Metropol, restoring the historic name for its contemporary event and nightlife operations.
Aftermath
The building continued its role as a Berlin entertainment and live-events venue.
2005
Remodel the interior for GoyaGeneration changeBackground
The building had already passed through several nightlife uses, including a short period as a KitKatClub location.
Action taken
Architect Hans Kollhoff remodelled the interior for the Goya nightclub.
Aftermath
The venue operated under another nightclub identity before later returning to the Metropol name.
1977
Transition to a discothèqueStrategyBackground
After the postwar venue had been renamed Metropol, its entertainment role continued to evolve.
Action taken
The building began operating as a discothèque and subsequently developed into a major West Berlin music club.
Aftermath
The club became associated with internationally known acts and the city's 1980s nightlife culture.
1927
Launch the Theater am NollendorfplatzStrategyBackground
Erwin Piscator and Tilla Durieux sought to establish a venue for politically engaged and experimental theatre.
Action taken
They opened the Theater am Nollendorfplatz in the building and presented work associated with writers and artists of the avant-garde.
Aftermath
The theatre became culturally influential but entered bankruptcy in 1929.
1911
Convert the Mozartsaal into a cinemaStrategyBackground
The building originally contained a separate concert hall above the theatre.
Action taken
The Mozartsaal was converted into a 925-seat cinema, adding film exhibition to the venue's theatrical and musical activities.
Aftermath
The cinema survived the later wartime destruction that damaged the auditorium.
Recent events
- 2019
Metropol reopens under its historic name[1]
Other
The Nollendorfplatz venue reopened as Metropol after earlier incarnations as a discothèque, the KitKatClub site, and the Goya nightclub.
Sources1 sources
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