Carolin Lünser and Christian Kocherscheidt were delighted by the overwhelming response.
Bad Berleburg. A 17 mm socket and a 17 mm wrench – a look into many of the toolboxes brought to the Capitol Cinema in Bad Berleburg on Tuesday revealed a strong determination to dismantle the auctioned cinema seats. But without the right tools, nothing worked. So there was a flurry of phone calls – or people simply helped each other out on site.
Carolin Lünser came up with the idea of publishing the campaign with the cinema seats on Facebook. She coordinates the cinema project for Christian Kocherscheidt and Katrin Kocherscheidt, who acquired the cinema through HCK GmbH & Co. KG (as previously reported).
After the campaign was published online, the response was overwhelming. “I was sitting there with two mobile devices. Within minutes, all 82 seats were reserved. People wanted to take a piece of memory home with them.”
Cinema to be redesigned
Christian Kocherscheidt explained why the seats had to be removed: “We want to redesign the cinema. For this, we need to rebuild Cinema Hall 1. New seating is also planned, so we had surplus cinema chairs and armchairs.” Offering the seats was a great idea. “It was an excellent promotional campaign for the entire cinema,” the owner said, adding: “We depend on our region remaining attractive – in terms of landscape, living conditions, and employment. When such a cultural element disappears, it really saddened me. I hoped someone would step in and do something. But then you realize: Christian, if you don’t do it now, no one else will.”
The last two films he had seen at the Bad Berleburg cinema were “Jumanji” and “Star Wars,” said Kocherscheidt, noting that his wife Iris is more of a cinema enthusiast. “She used to go to the cinema regularly on Wednesdays with a group of friends.”
Experience cinema with hotel and restaurant
According to project manager Carolin Lünser, the future cinema is intended to become an experience venue with a hotel and restaurant. “These three areas should benefit greatly from one another. You can go to the cinema to watch a film, but also enjoy small-scale performances. A stage will also be installed in the large hall.” Afterwards, guests can discuss the film over a glass of wine and perhaps even stay overnight at the cinema.
A prerequisite for the project’s further progress was the removal of the old cinema seats. Just over 20 lucky participants came to the traditional cinema in Bad Berleburg to collect their seats. They had secured a spot through an online campaign, giving them the opportunity to take home this very special piece of furniture.
Four seats for a home cinema
Among them was Martina Meier, who enthusiastically got to work with the proper tools. She and her husband had purchased an older house and were renovating it. “Cinema is my husband’s passion. That’s why a home cinema will have its place in our house. Four cinema seats from our hometown fit perfectly.”
Peter Kutschan attended on behalf of his daughter. “The task was to get two seats. They are now going to Gelsenkirchen to my daughter, who is also originally from Bad Berleburg.” Incidentally, Christian Kocherscheidt did not charge for the seats. However, donations for the rare items were welcome. The Bad Berleburg entrepreneur had the local youth development association in mind, which has been facing difficult times during the pandemic. “A great campaign. I’m glad we were asked,” said chairman Holger Saßmannshausen, who was also present.
Photo: Andreas Wolf
Newspaper article from the Siegener Zeitung, May 19, 2021, by the Wittgenstein editorial team in Bad Berleburg