Babelsberg: The World's Oldest Large-Scale Film Studios Near Berlin

Babelsberg, a district of Potsdam 30 km southwest of Berlin, has been the site of the world's oldest large-scale film production since 1912. The first shoot was on February 12, 1912, when Danish director Urban Gad began filming 'Der Totentanz' starring Asta Nielsen. The UFA (Universum Film AG) emerged after WWI, producing classics like 'Nosferatu' (1922) and 'The Last Laugh' (1924) by F.W. Murnau. Alfred Hitchcock worked there as an assistant director in 1925, later crediting Babelsberg for his filmmaking knowledge. In 1926, Fritz Lang's 'Metropolis' required a new soundstage, now named after Marlene Dietrich, who filmed 'The Blue Angel' (1930) there. The complex now has 21 studios on 17 hectares. Recent films include 'The Pianist', 'Bridge of Spies', 'The Grand Budapest Hotel', 'The Reader', 'Monuments Men', 'Inglourious Basterds' (Quentin Tarantino chose Babelsberg because 'cinema was born here'), and the series 'Babylon Berlin'. During the Nazi era, Joseph Goebbels commissioned propaganda films and entertainment like 'Baron Münchhausen' (1943). After Soviet occupation (1946-1990), the DEFA produced about 1,200 films, including 'Jacob the Liar' (1975), the only East German Oscar nominee. Since reunification, Babelsberg was owned by Vivendi (1992-2004), then FBB, and since 2023 by Cinespace Studios. The Filmpark Babelsberg is open to the public, and the Filmmuseum in Potsdam's baroque building (since 1981) houses a permanent collection on the studios' history.