© dpa
Weekend Tips: What to Do This Weekend in Berlin
August 28 to 30, 2026: Events, festivals, exhibitions and more things to do for your perfect weekend in Berlin. more
Nervenkitzelmaschine
Date details
- Date Thursday, 10/September/2026 18:00
- Venue Deutsche Kinemathek
- Address Mauerstraße 79, 10117 Berlin-Kreisfreie Stadt Berlin
Public transportation
-
Train (S-Bahn)
-
S Anhalter Bahnhof
- S2
- S25
- S1
- S26
-
S+U Potsdamer Platz Bhf
- S1
- S2
- S25
- S26
-
S Anhalter Bahnhof
-
Underground
-
Bus
-
U Stadtmitte
- N6
- 200
- N2
- U2
-
U Kochstr. (Checkpoint Charlie)
- M29
- N6
-
Leipziger Str./Wilhelmstr.
- 200
- N2
- 300
- M48
-
Wilhelmstr./Kochstr.
- M29
- N6
-
U Anton-Wilhelm-Amo-Str.
- M48
- 300
-
Charlottenstr.
- M29
-
Abgeordnetenhaus
- M41
-
S Anhalter Bahnhof
- M41
- M29
-
S+U Potsdamer Platz Bhf
- 200
- N2
- 300
- M48
- M85
- M41
-
Behrenstr./Wilhelmstr.
- 300
-
Jerusalemer Str.
- 200
- N2
-
Französische Str.
- 147
-
S Potsdamer Platz Bhf/Voßstr.
- M41
- M48
- M85
-
Berlin, Lindenstr./Oranienstr.
- 248
- N42
-
Jüdisches Museum
- 248
- N42
-
U Stadtmitte
-
Train
-
S+U Potsdamer Platz Bhf
- RE3
- FEX
- RB10
- RE8
- RE20
- RE5
- RE4
-
S+U Potsdamer Platz Bhf
Thrill Machine
Cinematheque – Art House Theater
Buchcover "Nervenkitzelmaschine" ›Nervenkitzelmaschine‹, 2026, Cover, © Schüren – Buchcover "Nervenkitzelmaschine": schwarz-weiß, grüner Hintergrund, zwei Personen im Profil.
© Schüren
Book Presentation & Short Film Program
Dr. Stephanie Werder: “Thrill Machine: Early Cinema and the Discourse on Nervousness in Germany”
How did early cinema affect people’s nerves? And why was it regarded at the beginning of the 20th century as both a danger and an exciting attraction?
In her book *Thrill Machine*, Stephanie Werder examines how closely the public perception of the new medium of cinema was linked to the discourse on nervousness at the time. Around 1900, technological progress, big-city life, and an ever-faster pace of daily life were changing people’s perceptions. Neurasthenia was considered a typical “fashionable illness” of the time—and it was amid this nervous atmosphere that cinema established itself.
Focusing on Germany, Werder shows how notions of nervousness shaped debates about film beginning around 1907. Especially in the 1910s, cinema was regarded as a medium with a powerful effect on the nerves. Opposing positions clashed: The cinema reform movement criticized commercial cinema as a dangerous “thrill machine.” Industry journals, on the other hand, specifically promoted the intense impact of films.
The study combines perspectives from film studies, the history of medicine and science, and the history of discourse, and draws on numerous sources that have received little attention to date.
A short film program complements the book presentation and brings the film culture of the era to life on the screen.
Guest
Dr. Stephanie Werder studied German language and literature, film studies, and English language and literature at the University of Zurich. Her book is based on her dissertation at the Department of Film Studies at the University of Zurich, which was written as part of the Swiss National Research Priority “Mediality.” Today she works as an assistant manager at the Cameo art house cinema in Winterthur.
Moderator: Karin Herbst-Meßlinger (Deutsche Kinemathek)Translated with DeepL
Dr. Stephanie Werder: “Thrill Machine: Early Cinema and the Discourse on Nervousness in Germany”
How did early cinema affect people’s nerves? And why was it regarded at the beginning of the 20th century as both a danger and an exciting attraction?
In her book *Thrill Machine*, Stephanie Werder examines how closely the public perception of the new medium of cinema was linked to the discourse on nervousness at the time. Around 1900, technological progress, big-city life, and an ever-faster pace of daily life were changing people’s perceptions. Neurasthenia was considered a typical “fashionable illness” of the time—and it was amid this nervous atmosphere that cinema established itself.
Focusing on Germany, Werder shows how notions of nervousness shaped debates about film beginning around 1907. Especially in the 1910s, cinema was regarded as a medium with a powerful effect on the nerves. Opposing positions clashed: The cinema reform movement criticized commercial cinema as a dangerous “thrill machine.” Industry journals, on the other hand, specifically promoted the intense impact of films.
The study combines perspectives from film studies, the history of medicine and science, and the history of discourse, and draws on numerous sources that have received little attention to date.
A short film program complements the book presentation and brings the film culture of the era to life on the screen.
Guest
Dr. Stephanie Werder studied German language and literature, film studies, and English language and literature at the University of Zurich. Her book is based on her dissertation at the Department of Film Studies at the University of Zurich, which was written as part of the Swiss National Research Priority “Mediality.” Today she works as an assistant manager at the Cameo art house cinema in Winterthur.
Moderator: Karin Herbst-Meßlinger (Deutsche Kinemathek)Translated with DeepL
Price info: Free with a ticket
Alternative events
© dpa
Kreuzberg Tour: Kriminell und kuschelig
Auf dieser Stadtführung der besonderen Art werfen Interessierte einen Blick hinter die Fassaden von Kreuzberg, dem internationalen Hotspot für den Berliner Lifestyle. moreabout: Kreuzberg Tour: Kriminell und kuschelig
- Next date:
- Kreuzberg Tour - kriminell & kuschelig
- Date:
- Thursday, 10/September/2026 19:00 (180 more dates)
- Venue:
- U-Bahn-Station Kottbusser Tor. Casino 36
- Address:
- Reichenberger Straße 174, 10999 Berlin-Kreuzberg
- Price:
- from €27.10
© v.l.n.r. © Fabian Raabe / © Jan Dreer/IFK Wien / © Christian Thiel/DER
KI-Ethik: Wem gehört mein Gesicht?
Ein Abend über Deep Fakes, die Ethik der KI und die Menschlichkeit der Zukunft. Unser Gesicht ist die Basis menschlicher Kultur. Es definiert unsere Identität und ermöglicht soziale Interaktion. Aber wer hält im Zeitalter seiner digitalen Reproduzierbarkeit... moreabout: KI-Ethik: Wem gehört mein Gesicht?
- Date:
- Thursday, 10/September/2026 19:30
- Venue:
- Urania Berlin - Kleist-Saal
- Address:
- An der Urania 17, 10787 Berlin-Schöneberg
- Price:
- from €8.00
© v.l.n.r. © Fabian Raabe / © Jan Dreer/IFK Wien / © Christian Thiel/DER
KI-Ethik: Wem gehört mein Gesicht?
Ein Abend über Deep Fakes, die Ethik der KI und die Menschlichkeit der Zukunft. Unser Gesicht ist die Basis menschlicher Kultur. Es definiert unsere Identität und ermöglicht soziale Interaktion. Aber wer hält im Zeitalter seiner digitalen Reproduzierbarkeit... moreabout: KI-Ethik: Wem gehört mein Gesicht?
- Date:
- Thursday, 10/September/2026 19:30
- Venue:
- Urania Berlin - Kleist-Saal
- Address:
- An der Urania 17, 10787 Berlin-Schöneberg
- Price:
- from €8.00
© Eventim
Mauer Tour - Schicksale & Helden
Fast 60 Jahre nach dem Bau der Mauer und 30 Jahre nach der Wiedervereinigung kommt so manch einem die Zweiteilung einer ganzen Nation vor wie ein schlechter Film. moreabout: Mauer Tour - Schicksale & Helden
- Date:
- Friday, 11/September/2026 11:00 (119 more dates)
- Venue:
- Berlin Nordbahnhof / An den Treppen.
- Address:
- Julie-Wolfthorn-Straße, 10115 Berlin-Mitte
- Price:
- from €27.10
© Eventim
Food Tour durch Berlin-Mitte
In familiärer Atmosphäre flanieren Sie bei dieser Tour durch den Stadtteil Mitte und begegnen an fast jeder Straßenecke zum Teil haarsträubenden Geschichten. Diese werden vom Guide in bekömmlichen Häppchen gereicht - und wenn der Hunger kommt, wird eingekehrt. moreabout: Food Tour durch Berlin-Mitte
- Next date:
- XFood Tour - Berlin Mitte
- Date:
- Friday, 11/September/2026 11:30 (180 more dates)
- Venue:
- Barachel Café
- Address:
- Rosenthaler Straße 51, 10178 Berlin-Mitte
- Price:
- from €59.61
The help page for the event calendar answers common questions.. Information about coperations and imprint can be found on our page about partners and terms and conditions.