Film Art, Tradition, and Attention to Detail
About Us
Welcome to the Lamm-Lichtspiele! When you take your seat with us at Hauptstraße 86, you are not only in Erlangen's oldest continuously operating cinema, but in a place with nearly 300 years of history. For centuries, people have eaten, drunk, danced, and gathered in this building—and for more than 100 years, film art has been part of it too.
Here, historic rooms meet film art and modern cinema technology. We love good films, beautiful rooms, and all the little things that make a trip to the cinema special.
From Baroque Brewhouse to Arthouse Cinema
The history of our protected sandstone building dates back to 1736, when Master Court Butcher Georg Vierzigmann established the brewhouse "Zum weißen Lamm" here. Where cinema audiences linger today, Erlangen's civic life once centered. The historic tavern sign with the white lamb on our facade still recalls that heritage today.
In 1919—shortly after the First World War—films were shown here for the first time. The former "Kammer-Lichtspiele," where silent films were screened, became the Lamm-Lichtspiele in the mid-1920s. In 1933, the Kuchenreuther family laid the foundation here for their later cinema empire. The Lamm-Lichtspiele were thus the starting point of a cinema history that continues to this day.
The first silent films are shown in the "Kammer-Lichtspiele".
The Cinema of the Future
Theater 1 is the world's first arthouse cinema to screen films on an LED display.
Award-Winning Arthouse
Since 1998, our focus has been on arthouse cinema. We show European film art, documentaries, and independent films, many of them in their original version with German subtitles (OmU).
For our programming, we have been honored continuously since 2000 with the German and Bavarian Cinema Programming Awards.
Emitting Light Instead of Projecting
As the first arthouse cinema to do so, we equipped Theater 1 with a DCI-certified Samsung Onyx Cinema LED Display. Measuring 5.1 x 2.7 meters, 6.6 million self-emissive diodes present films in luminous HDR color, inky true blacks, and pin-sharp detail—completely free of distracting ambient reflection.
The café "Zum weißen Lamm" becomes part of the cinema.
Café and Wine Bar "Zum weißen Lamm"
Hospitality in our building has a long history—from the jazz sessions of "Take Five" in the 1970s to the cinephile gathering place "Xaver." Since December 2010, we have operated the historic rooms ourselves under the heritage name "Zum weißen Lamm," bringing cinema and hospitality together.
On the menu: Franconian beer from Brauerei Drummer, wines from Weingut Max Müller, quiche, house-roasted nuts, and homemade cookies.
Since 2001
Das Lamm muss laufen e.V.
To us, cinema is far more than just watching. With strong support from our friends' association, we make the Lamm a vibrant gathering place. From the documentary series "Doku-Kino" to film classics introduced by scholars ("Großes Kino"), our late-night "Lammkeule," and Sunday morning "Matinée Ciné" with croissants—the association enriches our program tremendously.
Members pay €9.00 instead of €11.00 admission and receive advance information about special events.
Open-Air Cinema
Open-Air Cinema at the Bleiche
An absolute institution of the Erlangen summer of culture is the open-air cinema at the Bleiche. Since 2000, we have transformed the idyllic meadow on the Schwabachanlage (below the university clinic) into an evocative open-air movie theater for three weeks each summer. Nestled in nature, we present the year's cinematic highlights on our 40-square-meter screen in proven digital picture and sound quality.
For your evening at the movies, there are selected drinks, snacks, and fresh popcorn. And since summer evenings in Erlangen can turn chilly now and then, we recommend dressing warmly. Up to 80 covered seats are available in case the weather doesn't play along.
Our Open-Air Cinema in the Museumshof
Besides our large open-air cinema at the Bleiche, every June we are also guests at a second venue: the Museumshof of the Erlangen City Museum on Altstädter Kirchenplatz. This historic courtyard in the middle of town combines the special atmosphere of an old place with the urban life of Erlangen's old town. In cooperation with the City Museum, we screen selected films there under the open sky.
Join Us
Where to park, how to get tickets, and what a movie night with us costs: