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The Hochland cinema on Ludwigstrasse has been there for 90 years. To mark the anniversary, visitors can expect a special program with historical images and many memories. This also includes the first film that was shown at the opening on August 16, 1934.
It starts with adventure, crime and lots of love. The opening of the Hochland cinema in Partenkirchen is showing “The Refugee from Chicago” – a film of a very large format, according to the advertisement in the Garmisch-Partenkirchner Tagblatt. The stars: Gustav Fröhlich, Lil Dagover, Hubert von Meyerinck and Luise Ullrich. The story is cleverly constructed, the audience has no idea who the villain is until the end. Karl Wagner, who founded the cinema, used it to attract numerous viewers to Ludwigstrasse. Exactly 90 years later, on Friday, August 16, this film can be seen again in the Hochland cinema from around 8.30 p.m.
Program for the big birthday
Michael Spiegel, who is now responsible for the program at the Hochland cinema, has come up with a number of ideas for the anniversary. In addition to the film about two engineer friends – a good guy who takes on the role of his friend in prison, and a good-for-nothing – and all sorts of entanglements, he has invited director Walter Steffen. Historical images and many memories also play a role in the special program.
A house with history: The Hochland cinema on Ludwigstrasse in Partenkirchen has existed for 90 years. © PRIVATE
Someone who grew up with the cinema also has his say: Dr. Tobias Wagner, the great-grandson of the first operator. In the 1930s, Karl Wagner bought the building, which at the time housed a dance café. “He then started the cinema,” says his descendant. The Kurlichtspiele on Bahnhofstrasse, which has not existed since the mid-1970s, also belonged to his company. On Ludwigstrasse, the original lamps from 1934 can still be found in the auditorium, and the historic wall frescoes have since been covered up. As a child, Dr. Tobias Wagner lived with his parents on the second floor of the house. “My grandparents Therese and Hans Wagner lived opposite. They took over the cinema from my great-grandfather and ran it themselves until 1976.”
(By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular GAP newsletter.)
Homeowner fascinated by cinema as a young boy
Even as a small boy, the current homeowner was fascinated by the cinema. “I studied the posters and set pictures that advertised the films in the shop window with great interest,” he says. “I was magically attracted by the film titles and the heroes, villains, monsters and beauties shown, by Batman, Winnetou, James Bond, Godzilla and Dracula, by sailors and astronauts.” In some months he watched everything – including some gems, but also real trash. His attempts to get around the age rating mostly failed because of his attentive grandparents. “They didn’t miss the fact that I didn’t go out into the yard to play, but instead sneaked into the cinema or the projection room, which was forbidden.” Of course, he tried again and again. His fascination with what flickered across the screen was too great. “Some films and stories shaped me and gave me direction.”
Why cinemas are still needed today
Wagner’s enthusiasm continues. That is why it is important to him to continue to have a cinema under his roof. “For me personally, cinema and cinema films are indispensable and the most beautiful art form of our time.” In his opinion, you can only really immerse yourself in a film, a story, in the cinema. There are hardly any distractions here, apart from whispering neighbors or the rustling of the popcorn bag. In the dark, the viewer is alone with what is happening on the screen. “The magic begins when the lights go out and lasts until the lights come back on,” says Wagner. “Only then do we return to the real world that we left behind for the world shown in the film.” And these are so numerous and varied, so beautiful, tender, encouraging, frightening, funny, enlightening, disturbing, motivating and moving. “Cinema takes us into the past, into the future, into other countries, into the neighborhood and into distant galaxies,” he believes. His enthusiasm continues – and he hopes to infect many more people with it.
The special program that has been shown in the Hochland cinema for several years is already working very well. “People are going to the cinema more often again,” says Spiegel happily. The arthouse area, i.e. arthouse cinema beyond the mainstream, is popular with people. “There are many viewers who are interested in it,” confirms the cinema enthusiast. He is firmly convinced that people “need a public place like our cinema.” A cultural venue where they can be enchanted by special films. (tab)
