The history of Poznan’s cinemas dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. It was then, in 1903 to be exact, that the first such place opened here. Over the following decades, further cinemas were opened in the city, enjoying great popularity. Their activities came to an end in the 1990s, when they were replaced by multiplexes. The cinema theatre “Słońce” at Plac Wolności (Freedom Square) has a special place in the history of the city. The building was one of the largest and most modern cinemas in Poland during the interwar period. The Sun operated for just over a decade before it was destroyed during the fighting for Poznań in 1945.
Modernity in the heart of pre-war Poznań
The Słońce cinema theatre was built deep inside a plot of land belonging to the merchant Stefan Kałamajski, on the site of the older Palace Cinema, which had been demolished. The building was designed by Jozef Schneider and the construction, led by Franciszek Budzyński’s company, was completed after just six months. The interior, with 1,600 seats for spectators, organised on the ground floor, balconies and in boxes, stood out for its excellent visibility and opulent design. At the front, on Liberty Square, there was a striking building – the Michaelis and Kantorowicz department store. Interestingly, the cinema building was self-sufficient in energy. It was equipped with a private power plant and modern air-conditioning systems. Until the films were fully soundtracked, the screenings were accompanied by an orchestra and the stage was also adapted for choral performances. A Wurlitzer organ and a specially designed ceiling resembling a starry sky played a significant role in creating the atmosphere. The name of the building was chosen by the citizens of Poznan in a plebiscite.
The Sun Cinema Theatre – a great success
The inaugural screening, which showed the film “Sea’s Call”, took place on 20 December 1927. Director Czesław Smoczyński ensured that a wide range of repertoire was on offer, catering to different audience groups. Educational screenings and night screenings of avant-garde films were also organised. During the first six months, the cinema was visited by around half a million viewers, a very impressive result. The Sun also stood out for its innovative forms of promotion – a film newsletter was published and advertising leaflets were dropped from an aeroplane. With the opening of Metropolis, another state-of-the-art cinema, interest in film in the city skyrocketed and the number of tickets sold doubled in two years. During the German occupation of Poznan, the cinema was renamed Deutsches Lichtspiele and was only open to Germans.
The war and the destruction of the cinema
In February 1945, both the front building and the cinema buildings situated further back in the plot were severely damaged by shelling and fire. A burnt-out ruin was left of the impressive department store; the Sun building presented a similar condition. Of the cinema, only the basement, part of the lobby, box office and stairs survived. All installations, on the other hand, were completely destroyed. Architect Stefan Sawicki estimated the cost of the reconstruction at 67 million zlotys, but despite the efforts of the Polish Western Association, the cinema could not be reactivated. The front building was rebuilt in a highly simplified manner – only a fragment of the façade survived from the former decoration.
Renovation of a place with history
In 2023, the renovation of the tenement standing at the address Plac Wolności 6 was completed. As part of the extensive works, the building was rebuilt and renovated, and a new annexe was built deep into the plot, on the site of the defunct Sun. The investment was carried out by the Poznan-based developer Inwestycje Wielkopolski, preparing 259 investment flats for short- and long-term rental. The facility is managed by INA Management, which operates the Citybreak aparthotel format and the Longstay offer here. References to the history of the place can be found in the building’s gates: one of the side niches features graphics depicting cinema stars, while the pavement resembles a filmstrip.
Cinema Theatre Sun – memory
Despite the fact that the original Sun Cinema Theatre did not survive the turmoil of war and did not live to see reconstruction either, the memory of it has not disappeared. The projectors that were excavated from the ruins of the building were used for many years in the Apollo cinema. After the war, however, the name Sun was taken over by another cinema, which operated in Winogrady until the early 1990s.
Source: miastopoznaj.pl, culture.pl
Read also: Architecture in Poland | Socialist realism | Interesting facts | History | Warsaw
Michaelis and Kantorowicz’s department store at the beginning of the 20th century and the building today. Source: Wielkopolska Digital Library and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
Tenement houses no. 6 and 7 at Wolności Square, 1945 and 2025. Source: MKZ in Poznań and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
