Film
The Federal Archives collect German films of all genres – including newsreels, cartoons, documentaries and feature films – and from all epochs since the end of the 19th century. The film collection is enhanced by documents on film history, which portray the artistic and technical development of the medium of film and the emergence and impact of individual productions.
Particular focal points of film records are
- Films from the period from 1930 to 1945
- Cinema newsreels post-1945
- Films from the GDR
- Productions commissioned by federal agencies
- Films that were sponsored by resources from the Federal Republic of Germany.
The collections of film-related materials include
- Rental catalogues
- Programmes
- Photographs
- Posters
- Scripts
- Censorship and certification records.
Collections do not include television productions or foreign films, unless one of the co-producers was German.
Special groups
- Film-related collections
- Library holdings on German film
- Film-related material
- Use of film archive holdings
Research options
- filmportal.de
- Datenbank der DEFA-Stiftung
- Archiv deutscher Wochenschauen
- Catalogue of the Library of the Federal Archives
Advices for reference
The regulations governing the use of the reference service are contained in the Federal Archives Act (BArchG), the Federal Archives access regulations, the Federal Archives cost regulations and the reading room regulations of the Federal Archives. Please note that specific legal and contractual provisions may apply in the case of access to personal records and archives of private origin with copyright implications.
Reference locations
A reference service for the Federal Archives is provided in Berlin-Wilmersdorf.