The Ufa-Palast am Zoo, located near

Berlin Zoological Garden The Berlin Zoological Garden (german: link=no, Zoologischer Garten Berlin) is the oldest surviving and best-known zoo in Germany. Opened in 1844, it covers and is located in Berlin's Tiergarten. With about 1,380 different species and over 20,2 ...

in the

New West New West Records is a record label based in Nashville, Tennessee, and Athens, Georgia. It had offices in Burbank, California, and Beverly Hills, California. The label was established in 1998 by Cameron Strang "for artists who perform real music ...

area of

Charlottenburg Charlottenburg () is a Boroughs and localities of Berlin, locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. Established as a German town law, town in 1705 and named after Sophia Charlotte of Hanover, Queen consort of Kingdom ...

, was a major

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

cinema owned by

Universum Film AG UFA GmbH, shortened to UFA (), is a film and television production company that unites all production activities of the media conglomerate Bertelsmann in Germany. Its name derives from Universum-Film Aktiengesellschaft (normally abbreviated as ...

, or Ufa. Opened in 1919 and enlarged in 1925, it was the largest cinema in Germany until 1929 and was one of the main locations of film premières in the country. The building was destroyed in November 1943 during the

Bombing of Berlin in World War II A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechanica ...

and replaced in 1957 by the

Zoo Palast The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

History

The

Neo-Romanesque Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...

building at Hardenbergstraße was designed as an exhibition hall by architect Carl Gause (1851–1907), an alumnus of the

Bauakademie The Bauakademie (''Building Academy'') in Berlin, Germany, was a higher education school for the art of building to train master builders. It originated from the construction department of the Academy of Fine Arts and Mechanical Sciences (from ...

who had also drawn plans for the

Hotel Adlon The Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is a luxury hotel in Berlin, Germany. It is on Unter den Linden, the main boulevard in the central Mitte district, at the corner with Pariser Platz, directly opposite the Brandenburg Gate. The original Hotel Adlon ...

. Like the '' Romanisches Haus'' nearby, the design followed the model of the

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (in German: Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche, but mostly just known as Gedächtniskirche ) is a Protestant church affiliated with the Evangelical Church in Berlin, Brandenburg and Silesian Upper Lusatia, a regi ...

at Auguste-Viktoria-Platz (present-day Breitscheidplatz), built in 1891–1895 according to plans by

Franz Schwechten Franz Heinrich Schwechten (12 August 1841 – 11 August 1924) was one of the most famous Germany, German architects of the Wilhelminism, Wilhelmine era, and contributed to the development of historicism (art), historicist architecture. Life Schw ...

. The development of a "Romanesque forum" met the demands of Emperor

Wilhelm II Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor (german: Kaiser) and King of Prussia, reigning from 15 June 1888 until his abdication on 9 November 1918. Despite strengthening the German Empir ...

who even set guidelines for the design of streetlights and

tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

power lines. Construction work took place from 1905 to 1906; the building complex initially hosted the ''Ausstellungshallen am Zoologischen Garten'' exhibition halls, named after the adjacent Berlin Zoo. In 1912, Arthur Biberfeld converted the western hall into a theatre. In 1913–15, projection facilities were installed by

Oskar Kaufmann Oskar Kaufmann (2 February 1873 – 8 September 1956) was a Hungarian architect. He was an expert in construction and design and was active in Berlin beginning in 1900. Among his best-known works are the Krolloper, the Hebbel Theater and the , ...

for the première of the film ''

Quo Vadis ''Quō vādis?'' (, ) is a Latin phrase meaning "Where are you marching?". It is also commonly translated as "Where are you going?" or, poetically, "Whither goest thou?" The phrase originates from the Christian tradition regarding Saint Pete ...

'', produced by the Italian

Cines The Società Italiana Cines (''Italian Cines Company'') is a film company specializing in production and distribution of films. The company was founded on 1 April 1906. A major force in the European film industry before the First World War, the c ...

company, and from 1913 to 1914, the theatre was called the ''Cines-Palast''.Ehemaliger Ufa-Palast am Zoo
Lexikon: Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf von A bis Z, Bezirksamt Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, City of Berlin, retrieved 19 December 2012 The other section of the building housed a café and variety theatre called the ''Wilhelmshallen''. In 1919, architect

Max Bischoff Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (English Springer Spaniel), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of OBE) * Max (gorilla) ...

rebuilt it for Ufa as a 1,740-seat cinema, which opened on 18 September 1919 with the première of

Ernst Lubitsch Ernst Lubitsch (; January 29, 1892November 30, 1947) was a German-born American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; as ...

's ''

Madame Dubarry Jeanne Bécu, Comtesse du Barry (19 August 1743 – 8 December 1793) was the last ''maîtresse-en-titre'' of King Louis XV of France. She was executed, by guillotine, during the French Revolution due to accounts of treason—particularly being ...

''.Klaus Kreimeier, trans. Robert and Rita Kimber, ''The Ufa Story: A History of Germany's Greatest Film Company, 1918–1945'', 1996, repr. Berkeley: University of California, 1999,
p. 56
referring to the film by its U.S. title, ''Passion''.Marc Silberman, ''German Cinema: Texts in Context'', Detroit: Wayne State University, 1995,
p. 3
The cinema had a rectangular auditorium with two levels of proscenium boxes and the remaining seating arranged in horseshoe-shaped rows.

Siegfried Kracauer Siegfried Kracauer (; ; February 8, 1889 – November 26, 1966) was a German writer, journalist, sociologist, cultural critic, and film theorist. He has sometimes been associated with the Frankfurt School of critical theory. He is notable for a ...

praised the sightlines from the amphitheatre-style seating and the "discreet" and "tasteful" colour scheme; the décor was simple, with faïence panels around the screen. In 1925, the cinema was again rebuilt by

Carl Stahl-Urach Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community *Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of tel ...

; it was enlarged to 2,165 seats by the addition of a balcony, the lighting was improved, and an illuminated cinema organ was added. The interior décor by Samuel Rachman resembled that of

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

cinemas. It was the largest cinema in Germany until the 1929 opening of the Ufa-Palast in Hamburg, which was at that time the largest in Europe. Berlin Hardenbergstraße 001521

The reopening on 25 September 1925 was overseen by

Ernö Rapée Ernö Rapée (or Erno Rapee) (4 June 1891 – 26 June 1945) was a Hungarian-born American symphonic conductor in the first half of the 20th century whose prolific career spanned both classical and popular music. His most famous tenure was as the h ...

, a former employee of the American cinema impresario "Roxy" Rothafel who was brought over by Ufa together with Alexander Oumansky, who had been ballet director at Roxy's Capitol Theatre, to introduce US-style cinema shows to Germany. They were given an 85-member orchestra plus a jazz band, and Roxy himself came to offer assistance. The ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' reported that the American "combination of symphony concert, ballet and film" had been successfully imported to Germany for the first time. Rapee stayed on for almost a year as manager and as Ufa's senior music director, in which role he arranged music to accompany several films; he left after supervising the opening of Ufa's new

Gloria-Palast The Gloria-Palast was a German cinema located on the Kurfürstendamm in the German capital Berlin. It was constructed in 1924 and replaced the existing neo-Baroque Romanischen Hauses designed by Franz Heinrich Schwechten. It became a common loc ...

across the square. Berlin's own Capitol cinema, designed by

Hans Poelzig Hans Poelzig (30 April 1869 – 14 June 1936) was a German architect, painter and set designer. Life Poelzig was born in Berlin in 1869 to Countess Clara Henrietta Maria Poelzig while she was married to George Acland Ames, an Englishman. Uncerta ...

, also opened in 1925 as a nearby competitor to the Ufa-Palast; by 1928, when

Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazi politician who was the ''Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, and then Reich Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to 19 ...

made a speech denouncing the entertainment and other business venues there, Berlin's premier cinemas were clustered close together around the

and some had deliberately sought to make it the "Broadway of Europe". Following the renovation, the exterior was used for advertising, designed by Ufa's scenic designer

Rudi Feld Rudi Feld (1896–1994) was a German art director and set designer who worked for many years in the United States. Germany Feld was born Rudi Feilchenfeld in Berlin, the elder brother of the actor Fritz Feld. He served in the German army during W ...

. This began with light displays and large posters and progressed to complete transformations of the appearance of the building. For example, for ''

Spione ''Spione'' (English title: ''Spies'', under which title it was released in the United States) is a 1928 German silent espionage thriller directed by Fritz Lang and co-written with his wife, Thea von Harbou, who also wrote a novel of the sam ...

'' in 1928, a gigantic stylised eye stared out of the centre of the façade and the letters of the title, written across the whole width of the central bay, became pupils which emitted searchlights; for ''

Frau im Mond ''Honorifics'' are words that connote esteem or respect when used in addressing or referring to a person. In the German language, honorifics distinguish people by age, sex, profession, academic achievement, and rank. In the past, a distinction was ...

'' in 1929, the façade was draped in lights to evoke stars, and above the entrances skyscraper cities jutted out, from the centres of which model spaceships travelled to a moon globe and back; and for ''

Asphalt Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...

'', also in 1929, a huge transparency of a street scene—taken from the credits—was mounted on the front of the building, with speeding cars in the foreground, and alternately lighted and darkened; wooden gates swung closed in front of it, with the title written on them in letters blazing with light.Ward
p. 157
Fig. 37. p. 158. The exception was

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. 6 ...

's ''

Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big c ...

'', which received a double première on 10 January 1927: the gala première at the Ufa-Palast am Zoo was attended by President Hindenburg but advertised only by a sign above the entrance reading ''Welturaufführung'' (world première), while the smaller première, primarily for the press, took place at the smaller

Ufa-Pavillon am Nollendorfplatz The Ufa-Pavillon am Nollendorfplatz was a cinema located at 4 Nollendorfplatz, Schöneberg, Berlin. Built in 1912–13 and designed and decorated by leading artistic practitioners of the day, it was the German capital's first purpose-built, ...

(Germany's first purpose-built cinema, dating to 1912), which for the occasion was painted silver and illuminated "gleam nglike a beacon into the night", as a contemporary reviewer put it, and had a gong mounted over the main entrance; the film's brief German run continued there. Under the Nazis, for important occasions like the 1935 première of

Leni Riefenstahl Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl (; 22 August 1902 – 8 September 2003) was a German film director, photographer and actress known for her role in producing Nazi propaganda. A talented swimmer and an artist, Riefenstahl also became in ...

's ''

Triumph des Willens ''Triumph of the Will'' (german: Triumph des Willens) is a 1935 German Nazi propaganda film directed, produced, edited and co-written by Leni Riefenstahl. Adolf Hitler commissioned the film and served as an unofficial executive producer; his na ...

'' and the March 1943 celebration of Ufa's own 25th anniversary,

Albert Speer Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer (; ; 19 March 1905 – 1 September 1981) was a German architect who served as the Minister of Armaments and War Production in Nazi Germany during most of World War II. A close ally of Adolf Hitler, he ...

modified the façadeSteven Bach, ''Leni: The Life and Work of Leni Riefenstahl'', New York: Knopf, 2007,
p. 138
and it was dressed with large numbers of swastika flags spotlighted from below and with a huge eagle.Kreimeier
p. 254
For the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-sp ...

in Berlin, Speer designed a false front in simplified classical style. The following year, the remainder of the façade was similarly covered and heavy masonry pylons evoking the entrance to the Olympic Stadium set on either side of the entrance;Bach, ''Leni''
p. 164
one architectural historian has noted that except for the lack of windows and the decoration with film posters rather than government symbols, the building then looked very like Speer's

New Reich Chancellery The Reich Chancellery (german: Reichskanzlei) was the traditional name of the office of the Chancellor of Germany (then called ''Reichskanzler'') in the period of the German Reich from 1878 to 1945. The Chancellery's seat, selected and prepared ...

. The building was destroyed by bombing on 23 November 1943. The Zoo Palast was built on the site in 1957, built as a large

film festival A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upon ...

cinema for the

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

, and fully renovated in 2011–2013.

Use for premières

Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1983-1014-501, Berlin, Veranstaltung im Ufa-Palast am Zoo,

The Ufa-Palast am Zoo was one of the main locations for film premières in Germany.Michael Bienert
Ufa-Palast
Erich Kästners Berliner Adreßbuch, retrieved 19 December 2012 These included:

Premières under the Weimar Republic

* 18 September 1919: ''

'' * 4 December 1919: '' Die Puppe'' * 14 December 1920: ''

Anna Boleyn ''Anna Boleyn,'' also known as ''Deception'', is a 1920 German historical film directed by Ernst Lubitsch. It stars Henny Porten as Anne Boleyn and Emil Jannings as King Henry VIII. The film was produced by Paul Davidson's Union Film, a ...

'' * 9 March 1920: '' Kohlhiesels Töchter'' * 1 September 1920: '' Sumurun'' * 29 October 1920: ''

Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam ''The Golem: How He Came into the World'' (german: link=no, Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam, also referred to as ''Der Golem'') is a 1920 German silent horror film and a leading example of early German Expressionism. Director Paul Wegener, ...

''Frances Guerin, "Dazzled by the Light: Technological Entertainment and Its Social Impact in 'Varieté'", ''Cinema Journal'' 42.4, Summer 2003, pp. 98–115
p. 113, note 22
* 14 April 1921: ''

Die Bergkatze ''The Wild Cat'' (aka ''The Mountain Cat'', german: Die Bergkatze), subtitled ''A Grotesque in Four Acts'', is a 1921 German silent, farcical romantic comedy film directed by Ernst Lubitsch. It was shot at the Tempelhof Studios in Berlin. The ...

'' * 22 October 1921: '' Das indische Grabmal'' (Part 1) * 19 November 1921: ''Das indische Grabmal'' (Part 2) * 27 April 1922: '' Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler'' (Part 1)Lotte H. Eisner, ''Fritz Lang'', London: Secker & Warburg, repr. New York: Da Capo, 1976,
p. 408
* 26 May 1922: ''Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler'' (Part 2) * 13 November 1922: ''

Phantom Phantom may refer to: * Spirit (animating force), the vital principle or animating force within all living things ** Ghost, the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear to the living Aircraft * Boeing Phantom Ray, a stealthy un ...

'' * 7 January 1924: '' Die Finanzen des Großherzogs'' * 14 February 1924: ''

Die Nibelungen ''Die Nibelungen'' ("The Nibelungs") is a two-part series of silent fantasy films created by Austrian director Fritz Lang in 1924, consisting of ''Die Nibelungen: Siegfried'' and ''Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild's Revenge''. The scenarios for bot ...

'' (Part 1) * 26 April 1924: ''Die Nibelungen'' (Part 2) * 23 December 1924: ''

Der letzte Mann ''The Last Laugh'' (german: Der letzte Mann, ) is a 1924 German silent film directed by German director F. W. Murnau from a screenplay written by Carl Mayer. The film stars Emil Jannings and Maly Delschaft. Stephen Brockmann summarized the film' ...

'' * 16 November 1925: ''

Varieté ''Variety'' (german: Varieté , also known by the alternative titles ''Jealousy'' or ''Vaudeville'') is a 1925 German silent drama film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont based on the 1912 novel '' The Oath of Stephan Huller'' by Felix Hollaender ...

'' * 14 October 1926: ''

Faust Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroads ...

'' * 17 December 1926: '' The Holy Mountain''"Chronology", Rainer Rother, tr. Martin H. Bott, ''Leni Riefenstahl: The Seduction of Genius'', London/New York: Continuum, 2002, , pp. 223–32
pp. 223–26
* 10 January 1927: ''

'' * 24 January 1927: '' Eine Dubarry von heute'' * 22 March 1928: ''

''Eisner, ''Fritz Lang''
p. 409
* 18 February 1929: ''

'' * 27 August 1929: '' Der Würger'' * 15 October 1929: ''

'' * 17 September 1930: '' The Copper'' * 11 May 1931: '' M'' * 31 August 1931: '' Bombs on Monte Carlo'' * 26 November 1931: '' Der Draufgänger'' * 24 March 1932: ''

Das blaue Licht ''The Blue Light'' (german: Das blaue Licht) is a black-and-white 1932 film directed by Leni Riefenstahl and written by Béla Balázs with uncredited scripting by Carl Mayer. In Riefenstahl's film version, the witch, Junta, played by Riefensta ...

'' * 8. August 1932: ''

Quick Quick, as an adjective, refers to something moving with high speed. Quick may also refer to: In business * Quick (restaurant), a Belgian fast-food restaurant chain * Quick (sportswear), a Dutch manufacturer of sportswear * Quick (automobile) ...

'' * 12 October 1932: ''

Der schwarze Husar ''The Black Hussar'' (german: Der schwarze Husar) is a 1932 German historical drama film directed by Gerhard Lamprecht and starring Bernhard Goetzke, Conrad Veidt, Mady Christians, and Wolf Albach-Retty. It premièred at the Ufa-Palast am Zoo on ...

'' * 19 November 1932: ''

Der weiße Dämon ''The White Demon'' (German: ''Der weiße Dämon'') is a 1932 German drama film directed by Kurt Gerron and starring Hans Albers, Gerda Maurus and Peter Lorre.Kreimeier pp. 198–199 The film is also known by the alternative title of ''Dope''. T ...

'' * 22 December 1932: '' F.P.1 antwortet nicht''

Premières in the Third Reich until the outbreak of World War II

* 2 February 1933: '' Morgenrot'' * 9 May 1933: '' Ein Lied geht um die Welt'' * 15 August 1933: '' Ein gewisser Herr Gran'' * 30 August 1933: '' S.O.S. Eisberg'' * 1 December 1933: '' Sieg des Glaubens'' * 8 December 1933: '' Flüchtlinge'' * 29 March 1934: ''

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

'' * 12 March 1935: ''

Artisten Artisten (aka ''Harry Piel's 100. film'' or ''Prince of the arena'') is a German circus movie from 1934 to 1935 starring Susi Lanner, Hans Junkermann, Hilde Hildebrand and Harry Piel, who also acted as director. The screenplay was written by Max ...

'' * 28 March 1935: ''

'' * 19 November 1935: ''

Frisians in Peril ''Frisians in Peril'' (German: ''Friesennot'') is a 1935 German drama film directed by Peter Hagen and starring Friedrich Kayßler, Jessie Vihrog and Valéry Inkijinoff. Made for Nazi propaganda purposes, it concerns a village of ethnic Frisians ...

'' * 30 December 1935: '' Tag der Freiheit: Unsere Wehrmacht'' * 23 January 1936: '' Traumulus'' * 10 July 1936: '' Weiberregiment'' * 16 October 1936: '' Stadt Anatol'' * 23 December 1936: '' Unter heißem Himmel'' * 15 July 1937: ''

Der Mann, der Sherlock Holmes war ''The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes'' (German: ''Der Mann, der Sherlock Holmes war'') is a 1937 German mystery comedy film directed by Karl Hartl and starring Hans Albers, Heinz Rühmann and Marieluise Claudius. The film's sets were designed by ...

'' * 20 August 1937: ''

Alarm in Peking ''Alarm in Peking'' is a 1937 German adventure film directed by Herbert Selpin and starring Gustav Fröhlich, Leny Marenbach, and Peter Voß. It is set against the backdrop of the 1900 Boxer Rebellion in China. German filmmakers had frequently ...

'' * 19 October 1937: '' Der zerbrochene Krug'' * 21 December 1937: ''

Gasparone ''Gasparone'' is an operetta in three acts by Carl Millöcker to a German libretto by Friedrich Zell and Richard Genée. The libretto was later revised by and . An amusing feature of the work is that the title character never appears and acts ...

'' * 6 January 1938: '' Der Berg ruft'' * 11 February 1938: '' Der Tiger von Eschnapur'' * 20 April 1938: ''

Olympia The name Olympia may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Olympia'' (1938 film), by Leni Riefenstahl, documenting the Berlin-hosted Olympic Games * ''Olympia'' (1998 film), about a Mexican soap opera star who pursues a career as an athlet ...

'' * 26 February 1938: '' Das indische Grabmal'' * 1 April 1938: '' Fünf Millionen suchen einen Erben'' * 18 October 1938: '' Dreizehn Stühle''

Premières during World War II

* 20 March 1940: '' Stern von Rio'' * 28 November 1940: '' Der ewige Jude'' * 6 December 1940: '' Bismarck'' * 30 December 1940: ''

Wunschkonzert ''Wunschkonzert'' (''Request Concert'') is a 1940 German drama propaganda film by Eduard von Borsody. After '' Die große Liebe'', it was the most popular film of wartime Germany, reaching the second highest gross. Background The popular music s ...

'' * 14 February 1941: ''

Ohm Krüger ''Ohm Krüger'' (English: ''Uncle Krüger'') is a 1941 German biographical film directed by Hans Steinhoff and starring Emil Jannings, Lucie Höflich, and Werner Hinz. It was one of a series of major propaganda films produced in Nazi Germany ...

'' * 12 June 1942: ''

Die große Liebe ''The Great Love'' (German: ''Die große Liebe'') is a 1942 German drama film directed by Rolf Hansen and starring Zarah Leander, Viktor Staal and Grethe Weiser. It premiered in Berlin in 1942 and went on to become the most commercially succ ...

'' * 5 March 1943: '' Münchhausen''

Gala premières following first showing elsewhere

* 15 November 1929: '' The White Hell of Pitz Palu'' * 19 September 1933: '' Hitlerjunge Quex'' * 23 September 1936: ''

Der Bettelstudent ''Der Bettelstudent'' (''The Beggar Student'') is an operetta in three acts by Carl Millöcker with a German libretto by Camillo Walzel (under the pseudonym of F. Zell) and Richard Genée, based on ''Les noces de Fernande'' by Victorien Sardou a ...

'' * 17 March 1939: '' Wasser für Canitoga'' * 15 August 1939: ''

Es war eine rauschende Ballnacht ''The Life and Loves of Tschaikovsky'' or ''It Was a Lovely Night at the Ball'' (german: Es war eine rauschende Ballnacht) is a 1939 German historical drama film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Zarah Leander, Aribert Wäscher and Hans St ...

'' * 26 September 1939: '' Robert Koch, der Bekämpfer des Todes'' * 19 January 1940: '' Wir tanzen um die Welt'' * 24 September 1940: ''

Jud Süß (, "Süss the Jew") is a 1940 Nazi German historical drama and propaganda film produced by Terra Film at the behest of Joseph Goebbels. It is considered one of the most antisemitic films of all time. The film was directed by Veit Harlan, who ...

'' * 23 October 1941: ''

Heimkehr ''Heimkehr'' (English: "Homecoming") is a 1941 Nazi German anti-Polish propaganda film directed by Gustav Ucicky. It received the rare honor "Film of the Nation" in Nazi Germany, bestowed on films considered to have made an outstanding contribut ...

'' The première of

's ''

Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse ''The Testament of Dr. Mabuse'' (german: Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse), also called ''The Last Will of Dr. Mabuse'', is a 1933 German crime-thriller film directed by Fritz Lang. The movie is a sequel to Lang's silent film ''Dr. Mabuse the Gambl ...

'', like those of his earlier films, was scheduled to be held at the Ufa-Palast am Zoo, on 23 March 1933, but was cancelled when the film was banned by the Nazis.Gösta Werner, "Fritz Lang and Goebbels: Myth and Facts", ''Film Quarterly'' 43.3, Spring 1990, pp. 24–27
p. 25

References

External links

Night view of the Ufa-Palast am Zoo
{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Berlin Ufa-Palast am Zoo Buildings and structures in Berlin destroyed during World War II Buildings and structures demolished in 1943 1943 disestablishments in Germany Former cinemas