The Central Cinema in Werdau
We see the lower southern side of Ziegelstraße, directly at the corner with August-Bebel-Straße (right). The former Central-Kino, on the left of the picture, has been a dominant feature here since 1929. The Art Decó building, which is special for Werdau, was built as a cinema at the instigation of Paul Lorenz from Werdau. He had already run the first cinemas in the town, first in the “New Yorker Hafen” restaurant and then in a converted machine factory on the Brühl. When he opened the spacious, stylish and, at the time, modern new film palace, it was also greeted with euphoria in the contemporary press. After several successful cinema decades in which the hall was also used for ceremonial occasions and the first day of school for Werdau pupils, the cinema had to close shortly after the fall of the Wall. Since there was also devastating water damage shortly afterwards, the unused building visibly fell into disrepair. Today it is completely closed off on the street side, dilapidated and it remains questionable whether it will even live to see its 100th anniversary in 2029, even if only as a partially preserved façade. For the region, it would be the loss of a rare and unusual architectural monument.
Porcelain shop
In the Gründerzeit (Wilhelminian Style) building on the right, on the corner of August-Bebel-Strasse, the Fischer porcelain shop was once located. Later it became the HO VST Porzellan, and at the time of the photograph a tipico betting office is rented here. The ornamentation on the right bay window is striking.
