Metropol Theater

The 400-seat Monopol Theater was opened in 1911 and was operated by August Adtdorf. In 1918 it was operated by Friedrich Stahl. In 1920 the theater was re-named Metropol and it was demolished in 1928 for a larger Metropol Theater to be built.

The new Metropol Theater was opened on 29th January 1929. It was designed in an Art Deco style by architects Toni Kleefisch & Jacob Stumpf. The 1,400 seats were located in orchestra and balcony levels. It was equipped with a 2 manual organ by M. Welte & Sohn. As well as film the theatre also hosted stage shows. The stage size was 10 x 10,8 meters. Many top name stars appeared here including Luis Trenker, Asta Nielsen, Heinrich George, Marika Rokk. In later years Gerd Frobe, Zahrah Leander, Claudia Cardinale, Charles Rivel, Hardy Kruger and Werner Fink. In 1932 it was equipped with a sound system. During World War II the Metropol Theater was badly damaged by Allied bombs.

It was repaired and re-opened in 1946. It was the only operating cinema in Bonn at this time. In 1957 a CinemaScope screen was installed and a 4-channel stereophonic sound system was added. The E VII B projectors were by Ernemann In 1961 the cinema was operated by Metropol Theater GmbH & Vohwinkel. In the 1970’s the Cafe located on the first floor was converted into a second screen with 160-seats which was named Bambi im Metropol.

In 1992 the Ufa chain operated the Metropol Theater. The 2nd screen Bambi in Metropol was closed and reverted back to its use as a cafe. The Metropol Theater was renovated and the seating capacity was reduced to 860. A second screen with 150-seats was built on the roof of the cinema and was named Kuppelsaal. Two more screens, each with 150-seats were built in the basement of the cinema named screens A & B. In 2002 it was taken over by the CineStar chain and they operated the Metropol Theater original auditorium and the Kuppersaal. The Theater Kruger GmbH company operated the screens A & B. In 2006 the Metropol Theater was the last of the large historic cinema palaces in the Art Deco style still operating in Germany. Sadly, in 2006 the building was sold to a company who were not interested in its use as a cinema. The Metropol Theater was closed and it became a bookstore.

The 2 manual Welte organ was removed from the building and restored. It can now be heard in its new home at the museum named Siegfrieds Mechanisches Musikkabinett, located at Oberstrasse 29 in Rudersheim am Rhein, 65383.

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