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The 100 Most Important German Films — Deutsche Kinematheksverbund

On the occasion of the centennial of the cinema (1895-1995), the Association of German Cinémathèques conducted a survey among film historians, film journalists, film critics, filmmakers, and cinéastes to select the 100 most important German films from the beginnings to the day of voting.

324 film experts took part in a first vote to decide ranks 1 to 75.
The outcome was announced in February 1994 at the Berlin International Film Festival.
222 people participated in the second round of voting to choose places 76 to 100.
Counting was completed in autumn 1994.

2 films date from the period before 1914
37 from the Weimar Republic
8 from the National Socialist period
5 from the early post-war years
36 from…

  • M

    1

  • The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

    2

  • Berlin: Symphony of a Great City

    3

  • Nosferatu

    4

  • People on Sunday

    5

  • The Murderers Are Among Us

    6

  • The Blue Angel

    7

  • Metropolis

    8

  • Joyless Street

    9

  • The Kaiser's Lackey

    10

  • Kuhle Wampe or Who Owns the World?

    11

  • The Student of Prague

    12

  • The Bridge

    13

  • Yesterday Girl

    14

  • Mother Krause's Journey to Happiness

    15

  • The Golem: How He Came Into the World

    16

  • Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler

    17

  • Under the Bridges

    18

  • Die Nibelungen: Siegfried

    19

  • The Last Laugh

    20

  • Destiny

    21

  • Liebelei

    22

  • Trace of Stones

    23

  • Wintergartenprogramm

    24

  • Lola Montès

    25

  • Faust

    26

  • Heimat

    27

  • Germany in Autumn

    28

  • Du Barry, Woman of Passion

    29

  • Berlin-Alexanderplatz: The Story of Franz Biberkopf

    30

  • The Marriage of Maria Braun

    31

  • Münchhausen

    32

  • Pandora's Box

    33

  • The Tin Drum

    34

  • The Testament of Dr. Mabuse

    35

  • Kings of the Road

    36

  • Triumph of the Will

    37

  • Young Törless

    38

  • Katzelmacher

    39

  • Port of Freedom

    40

  • Rotation

    41

  • Aren't We Wonderful

    42

  • Waxworks

    43

  • Mädchen in Uniform

    44

  • Variety

    45

  • Roses for the Prosecutor

    46

  • Alice in the Cities

    47

  • Teenage Wolfpack

    48

  • The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum

    49

  • Westfront 1918

    50

  • The 3 Penny Opera

    51

  • Solo Sunny

    52

  • Ali: Fear Eats the Soul

    53

  • The Lost One

    54

  • The Three from the Filling Station

    55

  • In Those Days

    56

  • Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations

    57

  • Süss, the Jew

    58

  • Divided Heaven

    59

  • Wings of Desire

    60

  • Not Reconciled

    61

  • Vampyr

    62

  • Diary of a Lost Girl

    63

  • The Trial

    64

  • The Merchant of Four Seasons

    65

  • Romance in a Minor Key

    66

  • Marriage in the Shadows

    67

  • The Legend of Paul and Paula

    68

  • Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach

    69

  • Aguirre, the Wrath of God

    70

  • I Was Nineteen

    71

  • The Adventures of Prince Achmed

    72

  • Stars

    73

  • Marianne and Juliane

    74

  • The Street

    75

  • Germany, Year Zero

    76

  • Comradeship

    77

  • Emil and the Detectives

    78

  • Berlin - Ecke Schönhauser...

    79

  • Berlin Alexanderplatz

    80

  • Congress Dances

    81

  • The Rabbit Is Me

    82

  • Artists Under the Big Top: Perplexed

    83

  • Effi Briest

    84

  • The American Friend

    85

  • Asphalt

    86

  • Jacob the Liar

    87

  • The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser

    88

  • The Devil Strikes at Night

    89

  • The Mysteries of a Hairdresser's Shop

    90

  • The White Hell of Pitz Palu

    91

  • Rosemary

    92

  • Death Is My Trade

    93

  • Victor and Victoria

    94

  • Das Boot

    95

  • Hunting Scenes from Bavaria

    96

  • Lebensläufe - Die Geschichte der Kinder von Golzow in einzelnen Portraits

    97

  • The Berliner

    98

  • Mephisto

    99

  • Heimat 2: A Chronicle of a Generation

    100