Lights flicker. Cameras roll. Action. Welcome to the ehem. Rosenhügel-Filmstudios. These studios stand as a testament to Vienna’s rich cinematic history. They opened in 1923. Vita-Film production company originally owned them.
But before the official opening, film work already took place on the grounds from 1921. Vita-Film spared no expense. The monumental film Samson and Delilah was completed in 1922. It cost a staggering 12 million crowns.
The ehem. Rosenhügel-Filmstudios quickly became Austria’s largest and most modern studios. They surpassed even the studios of the competing Sascha-Film in Sievering.
Yet, fortune proved fickle. In 1924, a crisis hit the European film industry. A flood of cheap but high-quality American films bankrupted Vita-Film. The ehem. Rosenhügel-Filmstudios stood largely empty until 1933. Then, the Tobis-Sascha Film Industry took over.
The company had survived the crisis only by selling to the German Tobis-Tonbild-Syndikat. Fresh capital allowed for modernization. The ehem. Rosenhügel-Filmstudios were adapted for sound film. “Maskerade” became a figurehead of the Viennese films of the 1930s. Willi Forst directed. Paula Wessely starred. The shooting completed here in March 1934.
After 1934, Tobis-Sascha stopped producing films independently. The ehem. Rosenhügel-Filmstudios were exclusively rented to other producers. The Mondial-Film produced the famous comedy “Hotel Sacher”. But the interior shots were filmed here at Rosenhügel.
During this time, Albert Göring served as the technical director of Tobis-Sascha. He was Hermann Göring’s brother.
With Austria’s “Anschluss” to Germany, the Nazis seized control. The formerly Jewish-owned Tobis-Sascha became Aryanized. It was renamed Wien-Film.
From 1939 to 1941, a dubbing complex arose beside the ehem. Rosenhügel-Filmstudios. It featured a large and a small dubbing hall. There were also cutting rooms and offices. Joseph Goebbels himself commissioned the “Synchronhalle”. His goal was to shoot Nazi propaganda films. He wanted to use the UFA film stars of the time in Vienna. Plans included a company airport. A subway station directly in front of the film studios was also planned. This was for rapid transport.
During the Nazi era, Wien-Film became a major film producer. It was one of the largest in the German Reich. The ehem. Rosenhügel-Filmstudios played a crucial role. Many films served entertainment purposes. They followed the Nazi motto “Strength through Joy”. However, propaganda films like “Heimkehr” were also produced.
Near the end of World War II, Dr. Prohaska received orders. He was Wien-Film’s personnel officer. He was instructed to blow up the ehem. Rosenhügel-Filmstudios. This was to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Red Army. Karl Hartl, the studio’s production manager, allegedly prevented this. He acted with several other employees.
After the war, Vienna was divided into occupation zones. The Soviets gained control of the ehem. Rosenhügel-Filmstudios. They continued operations under the name “Wien-Film am Rosenhügel”. This was part of the USIA.
In 2013, the Vienna Symphonic Library purchased Hall 6. It is also known as the “Synchronhalle”. They collaborated with the Walters-Storyk Design Group. Together with Schneider+Schumacher architects, they created a music production site. It is unique worldwide.
Today, the ehem. Rosenhügel-Filmstudios stand as a reminder of Vienna’s complex past. They were a place of entertainment. They also served as a tool for propaganda. The studios continue to evolve. They adapt to the changing needs of the film and music industries.