Located in the heart of the Old Town, the Film Museum of the State Capital of Düsseldorf was founded in 1993. As an interactive museum, it offers an exciting introduction to the world of film, from its earliest beginnings to the present day.
The permanent exhibition, spanning 2,200 square meters, brings film history to life and showcases a selection of rare technical equipment, primarily from the prehistory and early history of cinematography. Visitors can marvel at camera obscuras from the 1880s, film projectors and cameras from the early 20th century to the present, set models, decorations, props, and costumes. Visitors also learn about and gain an understanding of production processes and the influence of film on our lives.
In addition to its permanent exhibition, the Film Museum houses an extensive archive, a library, and an in-house cinema with daily film screenings. It is home to one of only three surviving Welte cinema organs (built in 1929), which is regularly used during silent film screenings.
Schools and other educational institutions from across the country participate in the museum’s film and media education programs, guided tours, seminars, and workshops. The Düsseldorf Film Museum develops and presents special exhibitions on film and media in collaboration with German and international partners.
The museum’s collections include approximately 500,000 photographs, well over 40,000 posters, as well as press kits, newspaper clippings, reviews, film programs, screenplays and dialogue lists for domestic and foreign films, and production documents. The collection also includes estates, such as those of Lotte Reiniger, Helmut Käutner, Wolfgang Staudte, Harry Piel, and Liesl Karlstadt. Another highlight is the shadow play collection, which contains approximately 500 shadow play figures from the 13th to the 19th century documenting the history of shadow play, along with props, accessories, and a shadow play stage.
It is the only film museum in North Rhine-Westphalia to also house the state’s film collection. The film archive holds over 20,000 film prints, in addition to approximately 25,000 DVDs, Blu-rays, and videos. The library’s media collection comprises 60,000 titles. Books and magazines can be viewed by prior appointment.
