Zeiss Major Planetarium, Planetarium and movie theater in Prenzlauer Berg, Germany

The Zeiss Major Planetarium is a planetarium and cinema on the edge of the Ernst-Thälmann-Park estate in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin. Its dome hall has an interior diameter of 23 metres and 307 seats, with a Zeiss Universarium IX projector and ten 8K Velvet video projectors. A separate cinema seats 160.

Built between 1985 and 1987 as the GDR's last major representational building, the planetarium opened on 9 October 1987 for Berlin's 750th anniversary. It rose on the site of gasometers of the IV. Berliner Gasanstalt, demolished in 1984 after protests. The Berlin monument database lists a design collective including architect Gertrud Schille, not Erhardt Gißke alone.

The dome hall hosts the radio series "Hörspielkino unterm Sternenhimmel", running since 1995, and each February the venue serves as a screening location of the Berlin International Film Festival. Concerts, lectures and school programmes fill the rest of the year, with the 360-degree projection linking images to the star projector.

The planetarium stands at the edge of the Ernst-Thälmann-Park housing estate; the S-Bahn and tram stop Prenzlauer Allee is the nearest public transport hub. The dome hall seats 307 and the cinema hall 160, so check which space a screening uses. The Cosmorama projector is displayed in the foyer and can be viewed free of charge.

The building uses a spatial sound system with 49 speakers and four subwoofers that creates immersive audio experiences during shows. This technical setup is uncommon and significantly enhances the intensity of the experience.