Bochum Steel 1943/1952 at the City Archive: Industrial History in Motion Pictures
Date and Time
Location
Price
About this Event
Mood
Venue Type
Bochum Steel 1943/1952: An Evening of Film about Industry, Memory, and Staging
The Archive Cinema at the City Archive – Bochum Centre for Urban History focuses on the historical film Bochum Steel from the years 1943 and 1952 on January 28, 2027. The event offers an intense look at the history of the Bochum Company, industrial imagery, and the question of how a company can be represented in film and remembered historically.
Industrial History in Motion Pictures
For the 100th anniversary of the Bochum Company in 1942, the plan for a representative promotional film was created. Prisma Film GmbH filmed with significant effort and integrated not only documentary footage but also film-like sequences. The result remained unfinished initially and was only publicly screened in 1952 in a slightly shortened form with new musical accompaniment at the Bochum Union Theatre.
Between Documentation and Corporate Staging
The film screening makes visible how closely technical modernity, the industrial working world, and public relations were connected. Steel production is portrayed not only as an economic process but also as a cultural self-image of a city and its people. The examination of the factory directs attention to image composition, montage, material effect, and the aesthetic elevation of machines, production processes, and industrial performance.
Historical Context and Critical Positioning
At the center is the Bochum Company for Cast Steel Production, one of the significant German mining companies of the 19th and 20th centuries. The Archive Cinema connects historical film sources with scholarly analysis and cultural education. Ralf Stremmel and Felix Hartelt from the Historical Archive Krupp will moderate the evening and explore the film's history of creation, its presentation form, and its significance for local memory culture.
An Artistic Experience for History Enthusiasts
The exhibition atmosphere of the City Archive and the concentrated film viewing create a unique artistic experience between archive, cinema, and museum. Black-and-white images, historical sound concepts, and the movement of industrial forms generate an aesthetic experience in which Bochum's past becomes directly tangible. The event lasts about 90 minutes and provides space for a nuanced engagement with film, industrial history, and visual propaganda.
Conclusion: Experience Bochum's History Live
Bochum Steel 1943/1952 leads into a bygone world of the mining industry while simultaneously showing how history is shaped by moving images. Visitors can expect an informed Archive Cinema evening with historical film material, expert moderation, and impressive insights into Bochum's industrial past. Those who wish to connect urban history, film culture, and art historical image analysis should not miss this rare artistic experience at the City Archive.
Official Channels of the City Archive – Bochum Centre for Urban History:
- Instagram: no official profile found
- Facebook: no official profile found
- YouTube: no official profile found
- Website: https://www.bochum.de/Stadtarchiv/Dienstleistungen-und-Infos/Archivkino-des-Stadtarchivs
