Deutsche Kinemathek - Museum für Film und Fernsehen

Please note: The Deutsche Kinemathek will close its doors at the end of October 2024. In January 2025, it will open at its new location, the E-Werk, a former transformer station in Berlin-Mitte.

Museum für Film und Fernsehen Berlin is fascinating, not only for film fans. Here you can experience more than 100 years of German film history, along with 50 years of the television history of both East and West Germany, all the way from the first jerky pictures of the silent film era and the earliest sound films of the 1930s. Relax and feel at home in the armchairs of the media station, enjoying the highlights of film and television history. Another highlight of the museum is the Marlene Dietrich Collection which includes show costumes and personal items belonging to the world-famous and legendary actress from Berlin.

From “Metropolis” and “The Blue Angel” to contemporary films

1963 is the founding year of the Deutsche Kinemathek — a film archive created by director Gerhard Lamprecht. This, and the film collection of Albert Fidelius, form the basis of the museum’s extensive collection. In 2000, the cinema moves to the Filmhaus am Potsdamer Platz, and six years later, the television museum is set up leading to the Museum for Film and Television. The exhibition focuses on German film, actors and film makers, such as Heinz Rühmann and Marlene Dietrich. Dietrich celebrates many successes in Berlin during the 1930s and later in Hollywood.

You can admire the most beautiful objects from her private estate, as well as many of her famous costumes, including the swan coat and the well known male suit she wears in her androgynous role in the 1930s film “Morocco”. Explore memorabilia, including her letters and dolls, which accompany Dietrich on all her journeys and offer insight into her private life. You can watch excerpts from early films, which have retained all their fascination and charisma over the years including the 1927 silent film “Metropolis” by Fritz Lang which is the first science fiction feature film of its kind. As you stroll through the rooms, you can admire huge portraits from film and television history, featuring costumes and props from old films. In the television museum, enjoy watching the final game of the Football World Cup in 1954, a legendary win for the West German team, or news footage from the fall of the Berlin Wall. Relaxing in the many multimedia stations will renew memories of moments that have changed the world.

Highlights of the museum

• Extensive private collection by film diva Marlene Dietrich
• Drafts for Fritz Lang's famous 1927 silent film “Metropolis”
• Multimedia time tunnel allowing visitors to travel through the history of East and West German television
• Spectacular mirror room, where a television program review can be seen on 8-metre-high mirror walls
• The Mediathek Fernsehen archive with over 7.500 available broadcasts spanning 7 decades

More tips for film fans

On the ground floor of the Museum für Film und Fernsehen Berlin, there is a large shop offering film literature and DVDs, as well as books and current novels about Berlin. On the lower floor, head to the programme cinema Arsenal - Institute for Film and Video Art to catch old films, innovative video art and experimental film. 

Leaving the Sony Center, have a look at the central lane of the Potsdamer Straße where the “red carpet” golden stars remind you of the strength of German film. You can also visit the Babelsberg Studio in Potsdam where great international films continue to be produced. Find out more information about Babelsberg and German film history in the Filmmuseum Potsdam. The Video Bus Tour takes you directly to filming locations in Berlin.

A family museum in the heart of the city

The Museum für Film und Fernsehen Berlin is perfect for the whole family. Guided tours for adults begin on Sundays at 2 pm – outside of this time, tours are only by appointment. The Berlin WelcomeCard gives you a discount on admission. Beginning in July 2021, the first Sunday of the month will be admission free. For groups of children, there are guided tours and fun workshops about the techniques of animation film. You can also have your child's birthday party here. The Film Museum is easy to reach via the underground line U2 and the S-Bahn lines S1, S2 and S25. The museum is within walking distance of the Potsdamer Platz station. If driving, you will find parking in the car parks at the Sony Center or in the Potsdamer Platz Arkaden.

The museum also offers guided tours and workshops for school classes.

Opening hours