Central film library

The Central Film Library ( ZFB ) was the scientific specialist library on film in the GDR .

It was founded on September 15, 1961 at the instigation of the GDR Filmmakers' Club . Above all, she should be responsible for research into film studies.

At the opening, the library had around 5000 volumes. It contained the rescued copies from the holdings of the library of the Ufa-Lehrschau . In addition there were the holdings of the theater library of the artist club “Die Möwe”. By 1993 the collection had grown to around 28,000 volumes. It included (almost) the entire film and television literature of the GDR, including the majority of the DEFA - screenplays .

In the 32 years of its existence, the Central Film Library was subordinate to various bodies:

• 1961–1962 Association of Publicly Owned Enterprises Film
• 1963–1979 Institute for Film Studies
• 1970–1993 University for Film and Television Potsdam .

After the rental contract was terminated in 1991 by the DEFA documentary film studio, the ZFB found interim accommodation in the branch office of the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) / branch office in Berlin at Molkenmarkt 1–3. In 1993 the HFF brought the ZFB to Potsdam-Babelsberg. The holdings were combined with those of the HFF university library.

Web links

• History of the Central Film Library ( Memento from June 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive )