Rex-Lichtspieltheater

The Rex-Lichtspieltheater is a program cinema located in the Endenich district of Bonn, Germany, at Frongasse 9. It was built in the early 1950s and opened in March 1952. The building was commissioned by siblings Anita Riegel, Paul Riegel, and Hans Riegel junior, children of Haribo founder Hans Riegel, and designed by architect Josef Kirsch. Anita Riegel initially managed the cinema. The venue is a protected monument, listed since 8 June 1994 under the Bonn monument register (A 3022), recognized as a typical example of post-war suburban cinema architecture. After a golden era in the 1950s and 1960s, the cinema faced economic difficulties as television ownership spread. Daily programming ceased in the mid-1970s, and operations stopped entirely at the end of the 1970s. In 1980, members of the student Argel-Filmklub, seeking a new venue, founded Rex-Lichtspiel GmbH, which remains the operator. The cinema reopened in 1981 as a program cinema with a focus on sophisticated European film art. It has since been modernized, including new seating in the early 1990s and a 6-channel Dolby Digital system in 1996. The Rex-Lichtspieltheater is a member of the Europa Cinemas network and cooperates with the Neue Filmbühne in Beuel. Its curated program emphasizes German and European films, with about 20% German productions and 50% from other European countries. Approximately 15% of screenings are in original language with German subtitles. The cinema also offers children's and school screenings. It has received multiple awards for its programming, including the Kinoprogrammpreis from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media in 2022 and a premium from the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW in 2025.

The Rex-Lichtspieltheater was built in the early 1950s and opened in March 1952 as a neighborhood cinema in Bonn's Endenich district. It was commissioned by siblings Anita Riegel, Paul Riegel, and Hans Riegel junior, the children of Haribo founder Hans Riegel, and designed by architect Josef Kirsch. Anita Riegel initially managed the cinema. One of its first major successes was the film Gone with the Wind, which was not shown in downtown Bonn cinemas due to distributor restrictions. During the post-war period, cinema boomed in Germany, and the Rex experienced golden times into the 1960s. However, as the economic miracle (Wirtschaftswunder) enabled more households to afford televisions, cinema attendance declined. In the 1960s, Heinz Harling took over the house and introduced a student-oriented program. In the 1970s, ownership changed several times and the cinema faced economic difficulties. Daily programming ceased in the mid-1970s, and operations were completely stopped at the end of the 1970s. In 1980, the student Argel-Filmklub, which had been showing films once a week at the Bonn-Center (today's Pantheon), sought a new venue. The then-owner of the Rex insisted on daily operation. To ensure daily cinema operations, some film club members founded Rex-Lichtspiel GmbH, which remains the operator today. In 1981, the Rex reopened as a program cinema, with the film Fünf Flaschen für Angelika (Five Bottles for Angelika) shown at the reopening. Since then, it has developed into a program cinema focusing on sophisticated European film art. The cinema was modernized over the years: new seating was installed in the early 1990s, and a 6-channel Dolby Digital system was added in 1996. The building has been a protected monument since 8 June 1994 (listed as A 3022 in the Bonn monument register for Endenich), recognized for its significance to post-war cinema architecture. The auditorium, with a classic design and balcony, originally had about 360 seats, later adjusted to 346. The Rex-Lichtspieltheater is a member of the Europa Cinemas network and cooperates with the Neue Filmbühne in Beuel. It has received multiple awards for its annual film programming from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media and the Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen. In 2022, it received the Kinoprogrammpreis from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, and in 2025, a premium from the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW.

• 2025

  Received a premium from the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW.

• 2022

  Received Kinoprogrammpreis from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.

• 2002

  Recognized for services to European film; member of Europa Cinemas.

• 1996

  6-channel Dolby Digital system installed.

• 1994

  Building listed as a protected monument (A 3022) on 8 June.

• 1990

  New seating installed.

• 1981

  Reopened as a program cinema with the film Fünf Flaschen für Angelika.

• 1980

  Rex-Lichtspiel GmbH founded by members of the student Argel-Filmklub.

• 1979

  Operations completely stopped.

• 1975

  Daily programming ceased.

• 1970

  Ownership changed several times; cinema faced economic difficulties.

• 1960

  Heinz Harling took over the cinema and introduced a student-oriented program.

• 1952

  Opened in March as a neighborhood cinema in Bonn-Endenich.

A historic, monument-protected program cinema offering curated European and German films in Bonn.

• Curated film screenings

  Focus on German and European films, with about 20% German and 50% other European productions.

• Original language screenings with German subtitles

  About 15% of screenings are in original language with German subtitles.

• Children's and school screenings

  The cinema offers special screenings for children and schools.

1. 1Kinoprogramm von REX und Neue Filmbühne Beuel: Startseiterex-filmbuehne.de
2. 2Kinoprogramm von REX und Neue Filmbühne Beuel: Geschichterex-filmbuehne.de
3. 3Rex-Lichtspieltheaterwikidata.org
4. 4Rex-Lichtspieltheaterde.wikipedia.org