In 1912, the Italian Cines Company that specialized in film production and distribution bought the Neo-Romanesque exhibition halls near the Berlin Zoo, where it premiered its own films before Universal Film AG, or Ufa, rebuilt it to create Germany's largest cinema on September 18, 1919. The Ufa Palast am Zoo opened with the debut of an Ufa production, Ernst Lubitsch's "Madame Dubarry."

At the time, Ufa productions kept pace with Hollywood and even became hits in the US. Silent films such as Fritz Lang's "Die Nibelungen" (1924) and "Metropolis" (1926), Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau's "Faust — German Folktale" (1926), and Ewald Andre Dupont's "Variete" (1925), celebrated their world premieres at the Ufa Palace. In 1925, the hall was enlarged from around 1,700 to near 2,200 seats.

When the Nazis seized power in 1933, the Ufa Palast was turned into a propaganda cinema, its program featuring films the likes of Leni Riefenstahl's "Victory of Faith" (1933), "Triumph of the Will" (1935, pictured) and "Olympia" (1938). It also screened anti-Semitic films commissioned by Joseph Goebbels such as "Süss the Jew" by Veit Harlan, and Fritz Hippler's "The Eternal Jew," both from 1940.

The vast Ufa theater was destroyed in an Allied air raid in November 1943, eight months after the cinema hosted what would be its last major premiere, the fantasy comedy film "Münchhausen" produced for the 25th anniversary of Ufa. It would take more than a decade for normal life to return this war-ravaged quarter of West Berlin, with the remains of the building finally demolished in 1955.

In 1957, the Zoo Palast opened at the same location and quickly became the home of major movie premieres, with stars from Sophia Loren to Jodie Foster and Tom Hanks passing through its grand foyer. Also hosting Berlinale competition screenings, the cinema's impressive oval ceiling illuminated by spotlights like a starry sky symbolized West Berlin's urban renewal following years of deprivation.

As the main location for the Berlin International Film Festival, or Berlinale, until 1999, the Zoo Palast was an institution associated with the democratic freedoms and cosmopolitan ideals trumpeted on the western side of the divided city. As the movie theater gained renown as the Berlin's home of major film premieres, additional cinema screening rooms were added.

Between 1998 and 2004, cinemas such as the Gloria and Astor closed on the neighboring Kurfürstendamm, giving way to branded shopping outlets, boutiques and mobile phone providers. At this time, the Zoo Palast was threatened with closure to make way for a shopping mall or office space that would fetch a higher rental return. Finally, however, community resistance meant the cinema was preserved.

The cinema shut in 2011 to undergo a two-year renovation. The building reopened in 2013 with a completely new interior that is a homage to the grand cinemas of the 1950s and 1960s — combined with the comfort and technology of today's premium cinemas. While only the outer shell of the postwar modernist monument remains, the Zoo Palast has again hosted Berlinale screenings since 2014.

It's a cinema that has seen many celebrities. Built in the 1950s, it was for a long time THE premiere cinema of West Berlin and until 1999 also the central competition cinema of the Berlinale film festival. Unlike other iconic cinema buildings on Kurfürstendamm, it has fortunately survived. It has been rebuilt, renovated and technically upgraded and still cuts a fine figure in the 21st century.

The counterpart to the Zoo Palast in the former communist East Germany was the Kino International. The cinema on Karl-Marx Allee is a gem of socialist architecture. The 60s relief facades are listed as historical monuments. Movie theater fans love the cinema because 70 mm copies can still be played here. At least as beautiful: the view from the panorama windows of the lounge onto Karl-Marx Allee.

Once upon a time it was a large cinema, built in 1928 in the New Objectivity style, in the Steglitz district. The tower with its striking stripes of light gives an idea of what it once looked like. The cinema hall was huge, with room for almost 2,000 spectators. Unfortunately it no longer exists. The very first Berlinale took place here in 1951. The opening film was Alfred Hitchcock's "Rebecca".

This cinema on Kurfürstendamm indulges the senses. The hall is opulent, with a beautifully curved shell ceiling. The wide and soft armchairs are wonderfully comfortable, and you can even put your feet up. Drinks and snacks are brought to the seat. It's so comfortable, in fact, the biggest challenge is not falling asleep when the lights go down and the performance begins.

It is one of those cinemas that cleverly conceals itself in Berlin's sea of houses. Neues Off hides behind an inconspicuous tenement building facade in the Neukölln district. But those who find it — and many do — will be surprised by its stylish 1950s flair. The foyer almost looks like an American diner: The bright red counter is the showpiece — an original, of course.

The Delphi, nearby Zoo Palast, looks almost like a little castle. During the 1920s, the city's wildest swing parties were celebrated here. It was only after the Second World War that the dance palace was transformed into a cinema palace — the music, however, remains. The Quasimodo jazz club in the basement of the Delphi — an institution — is well worth a visit.

Just around the corner is the Delphi Lux, the youngest cinema in the city — it only opened in 2017. Its seven movie screens are equipped with the latest projection technology. Each room has its own lighting concept. Anyone who wants to watch extra long films should come here: the comfortable reclining armchairs make it easy to lean back and relax for a few hours.

Built in 1913 in the Wilmersdorf district, it is one of the oldest cinemas in Berlin. The facade and the sweeping lettering, however, date from the 1950s. The architecture is not the only thing that awakens nostalgic feelings. It is the only cinema in Berlin where you can once again see UFA film stars. Film classics from the 1920s to the 1940s are shown regularly, while coffee and cake are served.

This traditional cinema was supposed to be torn down after 70 years of uninterrupted service. Thankfully, that didn't happen: Director Michael Verhoeven and committed local residents saved the cinema. Verhoeven bought it in 1995 and hired the York Cinema Group, which specializes in renovating and saving run-down cinemas. Today, it's clear the rescue mission has been a success.

Cinema Paris, with its elegant 1950s foyer, is a movie theater that literally gleams in new splendor. It is fittingly located on Kurfürstendamm, in the "Maison de France" — the French cultural center in Berlin. Tres chic! It is the place to go for French cinema fans who want to see films in their original language version.