Schauburg Cinema

The building at Friedrichstrasse 1 was originally built in 1709 as a residential and commercial building in the style of a Baroque Huguenot house, built by a master mason named Pierre Françoise Navelot. Valentin Kammerer would eventually own the house in 1774 and would transform his house into a business, as it served as a workshop for bookbinders, printers, button makers, and librarians. The building was later occupied by a YMCA that operated during World War I.

The Schauburg Cinema opened at the site in September 1936 as a 520-seat single-screener, and was first operated by Michael Kuchenreuther, who also operated other theatres in Erlangen and Munich. Unfortunately, he was fired from Reich Film Chamber in 1938, and his first wife, Thea, managed to fill-in his place.

Unfortunately in April 1945, the Schauburg Cinema suffered severe damage during the final weeks of World War II. After reconstruction, the theatre was confiscated by the American military government. After a forced hiatus, the Schauburg Cinema reopened its doors in 1948 under a new tenant of Eugen Schlötzer, but the Kuchenreuther family took the theatre right back in 1949 under both Michael and his second wife Ingeborg, regaining his ownership after a eleven-year hiatus for Michael.

Despite twinning by the early-1980’s with 320 seats in Screen 1 and 142 seats in Screen 2, Michael operated the Schauburg Cinema until 1992 when he retired from operating the theatre. UFA would officially takeover, until closing for the final time on April 1, 1998, due to CineStar opening their 10-screen multiplex nearby.

As of 2026, a furniture store now occupies the former theatre.

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