STUTTGART. At the beginning of November last year it became known that the EM-Filmtheaterbetriebe Mertz GmbH & Co. KG will close the traditional Stuttgart Metropol-Kino on December 31st. Since then the waves have been rising in the state capital; especially after Union Investment, the landlord of the listed building on Bolzstrasse, announced in mid-January that it would lease it to Element Boulders GmbH, an operator of climbing gyms. Now the parties directly involved in the process are practicing mutual accusations, and numerous actors in cultural life have spoken out.
The operating temperature of the controversy is high. Stuttgart’s cultural office manager Marc Gegenfurtner said in a TV interview that he had campaigned for solutions at an early stage to ensure that cinema operations could continue, had many conversations about it and now feels “ripped off” by Union Investment’s communication behavior.
In any case, the nerves seem to be on the brink of many of those involved: Hardly anyone wants to comment on the metropolitan closure on the phone, only Sebastian Selig is available for a statement by telephone. On his Facebook page “Rettet das Metropol” the resentment of the urban society forms: The votes range from “Immediately expropriate!” To “A tragedy” to “After all, no shisha bar and no betting office”. Selig also believes that it is not just the angry citizens of Stuttgart who cook here: “The protest is already very broad.” After all, his “Save the Metropolis” page has already recorded over 13,000 views. “So you can’t say that there is only a small arthouse cinema bubble fighting to keep its favorite theater.”
Premiere with Errol Flynn
The extent of the general dismay is also related to the fact that the Metropol is not just any cinema in any inner-city property: the cinema is located behind the facade of the former central train station in Stuttgart and has not only experienced lavish parties like the visit of Errol Flynn, which premiered in 1953 von »Gegen alle Flags«, but also has an outstanding function as a festival cinema in the Stuttgart cultural landscape. In short: The house is not only considered a traditional refuge of film art among film buffs. With its closure, Stuttgart is losing an important place of film culture with a unique history.
“We would have liked to keep our long-term tenant,” asserts Astrid Lipsky, Marketing Manager responsible for communications at Union Investment. Unfortunately, he did not believe in an economic recovery in the industry, which is why the contract, which originally ran until the end of 2022, was prematurely terminated. An offered rent reduction had been rejected by the EM film theater companies. However, they do not want to disclose what exactly Union Investment’s cooperation looked like. Instead, it is better to repeat the reference to the threat to the cinema industry from streaming services.
Lipsky confirms that at least one other interested party was available for further use as a cinema. However: “The operator of the Traumpalast first made contact around the time the tenant signed the contract.” The city of Stuttgart had confirmed its wish to use the cinema in the future, but made no specific commitments. The administration did not accept the offer to rent the space itself and sublet it to a cinema operator. The city also rejected long-term financial support from a cinema operator. This presents the situation a little differently: one has “signaled” the possibility of financial support from cinema operators for festivals and projects of the Association for Film and Media, according to the General Administration, Culture and Law department.
Formerly a city building
The request from the city regarding a purchase option was refused by Union Investment. »The cultural office will continue to fight for a culturally influenced business in consultation with all necessary authorities. More than ever, we see how important it is for private cultural real estate to be listed as a historical monument, «says Gegenfurtner. The punch line: 30 years ago the venerable building was still owned by the city before it found itself in the Union Investment portfolio after a series of transactions.
Can the Metropol still be saved? The hopes rest on different shoulders: Monument protection requirements could induce the climbing hall operator to withdraw, the designated Mayor Frank Nopper, who is said to have excellent relationships with Volksbank, one of the shareholders of Union Investment, could exercise his influence. When Element Boulders GmbH presented their concept in the town hall on Monday of this week, over 100 demonstrators protested against these plans on the market square. Your demand: to preserve the unique cinema as a cinema and cultural monument. A corresponding online petition has already found more than 1,600 signatories. (GEA)
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