City of Szczecin rides to the rescue after announcing it would buy one of the world’s oldest cinemas
One of the oldest continuously operating cinemas in the world, the Pionier in Poland's northern city of Szczecin, is to be bought by the city in order to preserve its historical importance and continued operation.
The Pionier cinema on Wojska Polskiego Avenue (formerly Falkenwalderstrasse) began operating on September 26, 1909, although films had been shown there since 1907.
Sold to Albert Pietzke in 1909, on September 26th of that same year the new look Helios relaunched with local newspapers carrying advertising bulletins that promised “a world class theatre” that would show “real life dramas, fantastic plays and cheerful blockbusters in good quality pictures.”
Initially, it operated as the Helios cinema, later as the Welt-Theater. From December 1945, for five years it was called the Odra.
In 2005, it received a Guinness World Records certificate, awarding it the title of the oldest continuously operating cinema in the world.
In 2005, it received a Guinness World Records certificate, awarding it the title of the oldest continuously operating cinema in the world.
Currently, however, L'Idéal Cinéma - Jacques Tati, operating in Aniche, France, is recognised as such.
In 1945, in the post-war changes to the map of Europe, Poland regained Szczecin from Germany.
In March this year the owner of Kino Pionier, Jerzy Miśkiewicz, announced his imminent retirement, saying: “I’m 73, I don’t have the mental and physical health to do this anymore.”
But after decades of operation, in March this year, it was disclosed that the cinema was in danger of shutting.
The news broke after the owner of Kino Pionier, Jerzy Miśkiewicz, announced his imminent retirement. “I’m 73,” he explained, “I don’t have the mental and physical health to do this anymore.”
Now, the city’sl 27 councillors who were present at the meeting have voted to buy the cinema.
City councilors said: With its unique history and tradition of presenting the most ambitious film repertoire, the Pionier cinema is a social and cultural asset of the city, and the place where it operates bears witness to the development of world cinematography, therefore it should be preserved for contemporary and future generations of cinemagoers.”
Anna Szotkowska, a vice-president of Szczecin, said at Tuesday's city council session that the plan is to finalise the deal with the current owners by the end of this year.
The justification for the draft resolution states that the purchase of the premises where the cinema is located is intended to "protect one of the oldest, continuously operating, cinemas in the world against closure."
"With its unique history and tradition of presenting the most ambitious film repertoire, the Pionier cinema is a social and cultural asset of the city, and the place where it operates bears witness to the development of world cinematography, therefore it should be preserved for contemporary and future generations of cinemagoers," the resolution said.
