Die Lupe

The Lupe was a small cinema in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, that operated from 1949 until 2003. It stood in a Baroque building on Gördelingerstraße, first opened in 1715–1720 and designed by architect Hermann Korb. The cinema began as the Regina in 1949 with 504 seats, was rebuilt after war damage in the late 1940s, and later became Studio für Filmkunst in 1965. In 1974 it was renamed Die Lupe under new owners who expanded its programme with monthly listings, original-language screenings and multiple daily showings. The cinema gained fame for attracting international filmmakers and actors to its screenings over the decades. It became known for hosting stars such as Peter Fonda, Jack Palance, Nicolette Krebitz and Tom Tykwer at special events. The venue won the Gilde deutscher Filmkunsttheater prize in 1966 for its programming and later introduced children’s film series under the Kuno programme. Under entrepreneur Hans-Joachim Flebbe, Die Lupe grew alongside other cinema purchases in the region. Its reputation rested on quality films and direct encounters between filmmakers and audiences. Visitors found a single-screen cinema with a warm, intimate atmosphere and carefully chosen programmes. The building itself, with its historic façade and restored interior, added to the experience. After the cinema closed in 2003, the space became home to a theatre called Komödie am Altstadtmarkt. Though the lights no longer shine for films, the building’s history and the cinema’s legacy remain part of Braunschweig’s cultural memory.