Bad Berleburg finally has a cinema again. The New Capitol turns cinema, restaurant, and hotel under one roof into a true event.
The scent of popcorn has returned to the Capitol in Bad Berleburg. After four years of waiting, the third component of the New Capitol opened on Friday evening: alongside the restaurant and hotel, the cinema is now complete. “Modern and different” was the concept, according to investor Christian Kocherscheidt. Nevertheless, parts of the original layout can still be recognized in the cinema.
“Four years of planning, conceptualizing, supervising, and supporting have led to this moment,” said Kocherscheidt at the official opening of the third and final component of the New Capitol. He admitted openly: “We know about as much about cinema as a cow knows about Sundays. We enjoy going, but we had no idea what goes on behind the scenes.” That is why he brought in experts: architect Monika Weber-Pahl, cinema operator Kai Winterhoff, who also runs the Residenz Cinema in Bad Laasphe, and Carolin Lünser as director of the New Capitol, who hosted the opening evening.
Cinema as an experience
One question remained: “Who still goes to the cinema? You can watch everything at home,” Kocherscheidt said – and immediately answered it himself: “Yes, you can. But it’s not an event.” And that is exactly what a visit to the New Capitol is meant to be. “A fantastic location has been created here, and I hope it will enrich Berleburg and Wittgenstein. My request: embrace it.” Under the roof of the New Capitol, restaurant, hotel, and cinema are now combined. “All of this can be perfectly combined. The cinema experience even extends into the hotel rooms,” Kocherscheidt explained, as films can also be watched there via streaming.
The new cinema features three halls – the Living Room, the Library, and the Theater. In the large hall, the Theater, the cinema seats are once again red, just like in the past. Currently, only half of the seating is installed, with the rest expected by mid-December. The first film shown at the New Capitol is a time-lapse of the cinema’s reconstruction. With the words “Roll film,” Carolin Lünser officially launched the new cinema.
A look back at cinema history
Architect Monika Weber-Pahl took guests on a journey through the history of cinema in Bad Berleburg and the Tondok-Womelsdorf family, who operated a theater as early as 1935. “Seventy years ago, the Capitol opened in Herrengarten,” she explained. In 1988, Bernd Womelsdorf took over management from his mother Ilse Womelsdorf. “I would like to pay tribute to the life’s work of the Womelsdorf family,” said Weber-Pahl, receiving applause from the audience.
With the renovation, a stage has once again been integrated into the large cinema hall. “The front rows of seats can be removed and stored beneath the stage, creating space for performances,” explained the architect. “There is also a partition wall to the adjacent kitchen for events and catering.”
A new cultural venue
Mayor Bernd Fuhrmann also congratulated the team on the opening of the “new old cinema.” Restaurant, hotel, and cinema form a harmonious trio, he said. And he emphasized that having a cinema in a small town is anything but a given: “I hope this project becomes an endless story.” Andreas Wolf, chairman of the cultural association, was particularly pleased about the stage with professional lighting and stage technology. “This is a tremendous asset for a small town like Bad Berleburg,” he said. “In addition to the Bürgerhaus at the market square, there is now another venue just a few steps away.”
Blockbusters return
The stage was already in use on opening night, with Olena and Vitalli Bondar, a Ukrainian band, providing musical entertainment. Guests were also treated to food from the restaurant and – as expected in a cinema – a film: “Loriot’s Great Animated Film Revue.” “A compilation of Loriot’s animated works, released in April this year to mark what would have been his 100th birthday,” explained cinema manager Kai Winterhoff.
From now on, current blockbusters are once again showing on the big screen, including “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” “A Whole Life,” and “Sound of Freedom.” And every evening, the cinema will once again be filled with the unmistakable smell of popcorn – just as it was on opening night.
Newspaper article from the Westfalenpost, December 2, 2023, by Annelie Manche.