Burn Marks – Film Posters from a Salt Mine

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Film Posters

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Numerous international film posters from the first 40 years of film history were found in a salt mine in Grasleben, Germany in 1986, where part of the National Socialists’ Reichsfilmarchiv (Film Archive of the Third Reich) had been stored since World War II. We are presenting two dozen extensively restored posters and telling their history for the first time.

Did a miner’s lamp in Grasleben really tip over in June 1945, triggering the destruction of countless film materials? In a salt mine of all places, where these and other cultural assets were supposed to be protected from the effects of war? Or had American agents and special units already evacuated the storage area two months before and then used the fire to cover their tracks? These questions can presumably never be answered. What does survive are historical film posters into which the traces of time have literally been burned. These works have come into the care of the Deutsche Kinemathek in the interim, while further materials, documents and objects are still slumbering in the depths of the salt mine.

Why and how did the film archives make their way there in 1944‒45, during the last months of the war? And what happened at the mine after the war ended? This exhibition tells these stories. It also addresses the subject of protecting cultural assets and looks into the painstaking efforts that are undertaken to keep historical legacies from being forgotten.

Trailer of the exhibition

Enjoy a small foretaste of our upcoming exhibition.

Exhibition topics

The Reichsfilmarchiv

To understand the (film) historical significance of the film posters and censorship materials found in Grasleben, the origin of this collection must be reconstructed. Therefore, we trace the history of the Reichsfilmarchiv – from its origins in 1933 and its integration into the propaganda apparatus of the National Socialists to the occupation policy during World War II and its relocation to the salt mine during its last months.

Protecting cultural assets in war

Business trip in September 1944, right: Richard Quaas, Source: Hans-Rainer Quaas, Bad Groebenzell — Business trip in September 1944, right: Richard Quaas, source: Hans-Rainer Quaas, Bad Groebenzell

To protect cultural assets from air raids, the National Socialists used the salt mine in Grasleben as a bunker for the film archive at the end of the World War II. Negatives of the ‘Wochenschau’ newsreels, secret documents as well as files of the censorship authority were stored and scheduled for destruction or removal when it became clear that the Germans would lose the war. However, the Allies marched in before and had parts of the archive removed themselves – some of which would remain lost for decades.

Rescue operations and restoration

Rescue mission in Grasleben 2019, Photo: Alexander Zöller — Rescue mission at the salt mine in Grasleben 2019, photo: Alexander Zöller

In the years 1986, 2017 and 2019, experts of the Kinemathek fetched crates of brittle and coked material from the mine. In addition to the rare film posters, the documents of the Film Review Office of the Third Reich are a sensational find. Little was known about the censorship of film advertising. In the exhibition, this gap is now closed by meticulous reconstruction of the film review procedure.

Open gallery

Events

Credits

Artistic Director: Rainer Rother

Administrative Director: Florian Bolenius

Exhibition concept: Rolf Aurich, Georg Simbeni

Curatorial assistance: Anett Sawall, Alexander Zöller

Project Manager: Peter Mänz

Project coordination: Georg Simbeni

Editing: Rolf Aurich, Julia Schell

English translations: Wendy Wallis, trans ART

Design of the exhibition graphics: Felder KölnBerlin

Exhibition architecture: jebram-szenografie

Restoration: Christin Frischmuth, Werkstatt Claus Schade

Conservational supervision: Sabina Fernández-Weiß

Digitalization: TU Berlin, Architekturmuseum in der Universitätsbibliothek

Reproductions: Bartneck Print Artists

Exhibition construction and technical services: Frank Köppke, Roberti Siefert

Lighting and AV technology: Stephan Werner

Design of the advertising graphics: Pentagram Design

media editing: Heinrich Adolf, Kilian Dorrmann; Boris Seewald, Georg Simbeni

Press: Heidi Berit Zapke

Marketing: Linda Mann

Website: Julia Pattis, Julia Schell

Educational Services and Outreach Programs: Jurek Sehrt

Guided tours and workshops: Jörg Becker, Jürgen Dünnwald

Lenders

Archiv der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Berlin

Heinrich Adolf, Hohenschäftlarn

Rolf Aurich, Potsdam

Bundesarchiv, Berlin

Bundesarchiv, Koblenz

Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv, Berlin

esco – european salt company GmbH & Co. KG, Werk Braunschweig-Lüneburg in Grasleben

Jeanpaul Goergen, Berlin

Gosfilmofond Russlands, Belyje Stolby

Institut für Zeitgeschichte, München

NARA – National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Maryland

Niedersächsisches Landesarchiv, Wolfenbüttel

Politisches Archiv des Auswärtigen Amtes, Berlin

Hans-Rainer Quaas, Gröbenzell

Helga Rathsack, Berlin

Bettina and Dirk Seewald, Bad Kreuznach

Ullstein Bild, Berlin

Hans-Gunter Voigt, Potsdam

Special thanks

Our thanks go to esco – european salt company GmbH & Co. KG, Heinrich Lohrengel, as well as to all our colleagues at the Deutsche Kinemathek.

Partners

In cooperation with:

Bundesarchiv

Media Partner:

filmdienst

The Deutsche Kinemathek is funded by:

Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien

Digital Collection

Find out more!

Discover all 63 posters in our Digital Collection.

To the Online Presentation
Exhibition

Be Caligari! – The Virtual Cabinet

Fragments of a poster for the Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari were also found in the salt mine. Dive into the film’s Expressionist imagery and learn more about its history.

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Burn Marks – Film Posters from a Salt Mine

General Information

Brochure

Film Posters

Trailer