For four weeks in August, one of Berlin’s most remarkable historical sites turns into an open-air cinema. From 3 to 27 August 2026, Campus-Kino presents twelve feature films and documentaries in the courtyard of the former Stasi headquarters in Berlin-Lichtenberg – today the Stasi-Zentrale. Campus für Demokratie.
The setting alone is worth the trip: where the Ministry for State Security once tried to control public life, people now gather in the open air to watch films, talk about history and spend a relaxed summer evening together. Admission to all film screenings is free.
Campus-Kino is not a stiff memorial event, but a very Berlin kind of cinema evening: deckchairs in the courtyard, a big screen, summer light between the former office blocks, conversations before and after the films, and plenty of space to arrive early, bring friends and make yourself comfortable. Snacks and drinks are available on site, but visitors are also welcome to bring their own food and drinks. A blanket is a good idea, especially later in the evening – and if you prefer a more informal spot, you can sit on the grassy slope and watch from there.
The programme focuses on life in the GDR, the Berlin Wall, surveillance, escape, dissent and the turbulent years after 1989. Each evening adds context through film talks with directors, historians, eyewitnesses and contemporary witnesses. There are also guided tours of the Stasi Records Archive and the historic grounds, exhibitions, and advice sessions for people who want to know how to apply for access to their own Stasi files. On Tuesday evenings, counselling on Stasi records is offered from 5.45 pm until the film begins.
A particularly accessible evening for international visitors is Tuesday, 4 August. Before the screening of Spione unter uns (Spies Among Us), there will be an English-language guided tour of the Stasi Records Archive at 5.45 pm. The film itself tells the story of Peter Keup, a former tournament dancer in the GDR who was imprisoned after attempting to flee and later discovered that his own brother had worked for the Stasi. The documentary combines family history, political persecution and the painful question of how to come to terms with betrayal when it happened so close to home. The film is in German and English, with German and English subtitles, making it a strong choice for non-German speakers as well.
Another highlight follows on 13 August – the anniversary of the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961. On this date, Campus-Kino shows Tunnel der Freiheit (Tunnel of Freedom), Marcus Vetter’s gripping documentary about a 135-metre tunnel dug from West Berlin to the East one year after the Wall went up. Twenty-nine people escaped through it. The film includes extraordinary original footage shot for the US broadcaster NBC, and one of the original tunnel builders will be present for the discussion.
Music also plays a major role this year. Die Akte Lindenberg – Udo und die DDR revisits Udo Lindenberg’s legendary 1983 concert in East Berlin, while the DEFA cult documentary flüstern & SCHREIEN captures the raw energy of GDR rock and underground culture shortly before the fall of the Wall.
The series ends on 27 August with Good Bye, Lenin!, one of the great German films about the post-reunification period – a bittersweet comedy about memory, family and the disappearance of a country almost overnight.
Campus-Kino takes place at Ruschestraße 103, 10365 Berlin-Lichtenberg, just a short walk from U5 Magdalenenstraße and around ten minutes from Alexanderplatz. Screenings begin at 7.30 pm. Admission is free; seating is limited and reservations are not possible, so arriving early is recommended.
