Wintergarten, Variety theater in Berlin-Mitte, Germany.
Wintergarten was a variety theater in Berlin-Mitte featuring dark velvet furnishings, fine wood interiors, and a starlit ceiling that evoked the theatrical style of 1920s Berlin. The space was designed with both intimate seating and larger sections to accommodate different types of performances and audiences.
The original theater opened in 1887 and gained fame when the Skladanowsky brothers presented the first public film screening there in 1895. The building was destroyed during the war, but the venue was eventually revived at a different location.
The theater takes its name from its original concept of an enclosed winter garden where audiences could enjoy performances in comfort. This tradition lives on through its programs of acrobatics, dance, and music that continue the variety show heritage of Berlin.
The theater originally stood on Friedrichstrasse but is no longer visible at that location today. The name and tradition of the variety house continue in Berlin, but the historical site itself cannot be visited as the building no longer exists.
The Skladanowsky brothers used the Wintergarten not just for variety shows but also to screen their early films to Berlin audiences. This historical premiere made the theater an important milestone in the history of early cinema.
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