Wolfen Industrial and Film Museum
The museum commemorates what was once the second largest film factory in the world, where AGFA or ORWO films were produced.
The Industry and Film Museum commemorates what was once the second largest film factory in the world. Here, employees produced the AGFA or ORWO films. The museum houses the largest camera collection in Saxony-Anhalt that is open to the public.
The Wolfen Industrial and Film Museum represents the traditional history of what was once the second largest raw film factory in the world. The museum is the only institution in the world that documents the production of raw film (photo and cinema film, black and white and color) at the original location with original machines. Visitors can expect an interesting insight into the production conditions of one of the few remaining buildings from the founding period of the Wolfen film factory.
During a guided tour of the museum, the process of film production is vividly conveyed. The museum staff tell interesting aspects about the once hard work in the darkrooms as well as about the history of AGFA and ORWO. In 1936, film workers cast the world's first universally usable multi-layer color film on the casting machine that can be visited.
A highlight for friends of photography is the museum's "treasure chamber": with more than 800 cameras, the largest publicly accessible collection in Saxony-Anhalt shows a cross-section of mainly German camera production. In the exhibition on the industrial history of the Bitterfeld-Wolfen region, the museum sends its visitors on a journey through time from the year 1800 to the year 2004. One can learn about the development of an agricultural region into one of the largest industrial regions in Central Germany by means of short texts, illustrations and a multi-media presentation.
In addition to the permanent exhibition, numerous special exhibitions, lectures and film screenings are held. In addition, the Museum of Industry and Film offers a variety of educational programs for school classes on the topic of "film and its production", which, in addition to curriculum-oriented content, primarily provide experience and fun.
1909 - 1910: Establishment of Filmfabrik Wolfen by AGFA.
1922: Start of production of viscose artificial silk.
1934: Development of the world's first synthetic fiber.
1936: Filmfabrik Wolfen is the largest pulp mill in the world.
1936: Filmfabrik Wolfen produces the world's first viable multilayer color film and is one of the most important companies in the field of photographic and film production.
1945: Seizure of patents and recipes by American troops at the end of World War II. The film factory becomes a Soviet joint stock company, and about 50% of the production facilities are dismantled as reparations.
1946: Start of production of Perlon silk and Perlon bristles. These were marketed from 1958 under the trademark Dederon.
1953: Foundation of VEB Film- und Chemiefaserwerk Agfa Wolfen.
1964: Change of trademark from AGFA to ORWO (Original Wolfen).
From 1989: Gradual closure of the film factory, starting with pulp and viscose fiber production.
1993: Opening of the Wolfen Industrial and Film Museum.
2020 - 2022: Reconstruction and expansion of the exhibition area.
Opening hours
Tuesday-Sunday 10-16
For current opening hours, please refer to the website
.