We are in the middle of the “Little Hollywood” of the 1920s in Berlin-Weissensee, on sleepy Caligariplatz, an inspiring area of cinematic history during the heyday of silent film. Major film companies had been setting up here since 1911 and this is where many of the most important works of early German cinema were made until the global economic crisis hit in 1928/29. Nothing remains of the film industry here today except for the Delphi, the former silent film theatre. Like a breathtaking relic from a long-forgotten age, it lies hidden, unsuspected, behind a plain, grey Bauhaus facade. Like Marlene Dietrich with her early film Tragödie der Liebe (1923), star careers took off here.
At the Delphi, the spirit of the 1920s is still tangible today. As was usual in those days, this interesting building, designed by the architect Julius Krost, emulates the architecture of a theatre auditorium: a striking, three-arched proscenium frames the stage, marking it out as the heart of the room; from the circle, you can see into the orchestra pit. The expressionist masterpiece Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, a silent movie directed by Robert Wiene and made quite close to the Delphi, was shown here. The architect showed great foresight in the cinema’s design in that the auditorium was already prepared for sound productions. Just one year after the Delphi opened, most of the films shown there were talkies.
The interior of the Delphi has been preserved largely in its original state. The patina still shimmers rust-red and gold, recalling the glamorous roaring twenties – and where it is peeling here and there, it bears witness to the abrupt end of the silent film era.
The cinema closed down in 1959. In the years that followed, the foyer of the building was used at various times as a vegetable store, a stamp shop, an organ builder’s showroom and a GDR civil defence storeroom. In 2013, two artists, Brina Stinehelfer and Nikolaus Schneider, took over the building and gave it new life. Today, it is a cultural centre for film, music, theatre, performance and experimental art forms. Films are now also being made at the Delphi again, and recently also the successful 1920s series Babylon-Berlin by Tom Tykwer, who shot a famous dance scene at the Delphi. The arches have since been adorned with a string of lights, a charming reminder of the shoot.
The Delphi symbolises the world of cinema and for that reason was the ideal location for our beauty shoot. We also picked the clothes for our models to wear in the photos with great care. Designer Dorothee Schumacher’s creative style mirrors our corporate philosophy perfectly: luxurious and always focused on the essential, her designs are classic and yet each one is entirely individual.
