Lichtspiel

This extraordinary institution has operated in a former factory building near the freight railway station since 2000.
The heart of the huge collection is the cinema the Association has installed between a myriad of projectors, cameras and other astounding cinematographic objects. Here, our guests can travel and make discoveries on the screen while the projector hums in the background of the open hall. The archive includes over 25,000 film reels: news reels, early music clips, amateur documentaries, cartoons and shortfeature films. The surprise screening programme on Sundays is selected from this treasure trove, and Lichtspiel also offers regular retrospectives and film series during the week.

The Association does not only maintain the collection of the deceased cinema technician Walter A. Ritschard but has built up a cinemathèque where films and all kind of cinematographic material which have born witness to more than 100 years of film-making history, are being saved from destruction, decay and oblivion, are recorded in a database, professionnally preserved and are accessible to the public. More than 25’000 film reels are stored in a specially built cold storage archive: trailers, newsreels, advertising films, documentaries and music clips, including rare film copies, several unicates and many amateur movies. The Association organizes courses on cinema history and forms projectionists. We can screen any film and video formate from 8mm to digital projection and repair, sell and rent cinematographic material.

In the middle of a unique scenery you can discover 75 comfortable armchairs and a long bar. We track down your favourite movie for a private screening or compose a program from our own collection.

The board