Mr. Schmidt and Mr. Friedrich (documentary)

Campus Cinema 2026

Filmmotiv aus dem Spielfilm „Herr Schmidt und Herr Friedrich“

Kurt Schmidt and Wilfried Friedrich are a gay couple whose love began many years before the fall of the Berlin Wall. As a business clerk from the West and a waiter from East Berlin, they found each other and defied the boundaries of their time. In their middle-class world, Mr. Schmidt and Mr. Friedrich offer a very personal glimpse into their life together. The film also includes excerpts from Stasi files on Wilfried Friedrich. They speak openly about their past, their present, and their hopes for the future. The film is a sensitive portrait that blends humor with sadness.

Documentary, 2001, Directed by Ulrike Franke and Michael Loeken, 70 min.

Pre-screening discussion: Prof. Dr. Daniela Münkel (Federal Archives – Stasi Records Archive) and Martin Schäfer (District Mayor of Lichtenberg)

Post-screening discussion: Mario Röllig (eyewitness) and Dr. Teresa Tammer (Federal Archives – Stasi Records Archive)

Moderator: Lena Kuhl (Federal Archives – Stasi Records Archive)

Pre-event program

5:45 p.m.: Exhibition and campus tour “The Stasi Records Archive at Its Historic Site,” 60 min.

5:45 p.m.: “The Stasi and Love.” Guided tour of the Stasi Records Archive, 60 min.

Registration for the tours is required at:

Your participation in the tour is not confirmed until you receive our confirmation.

The Campus Cinema is organized by the Federal Archives – Stasi Records Archive, the Berlin Commissioner for Coming to Terms with the Past, and the Robert Havemann Society e. V. Media partners are radioeins and Der Tagesspiegel. The Campus Cinema takes place in collaboration with the Stasi Museum, UOKG e. V., DOH Doping Opfer Hilfe e. V., and the Citizens’ Committee January 15 e. V.



The event is part of the“Campus Cinema” series.Translated with DeepL

Meeting point: Campus for Democracy

Booking: No registration is required for the movie screening.

Registration for the guided tours is required at:

Your participation in the guided tour is not confirmed until you receive our confirmation.

Next date:

• Date Thursday, 06/August/2026 19:30 bis 21:30
• Venue Stasimuseum - Forschungs- und Gedenkstätte Normannenstraße
• Address Ruschestraße 103, 10365 Berlin-Lichtenberg