New Series "Babylon Berlin" Puts the German Capital in Starring Role

(Source: visitBerlin)

Series by director Tom Tykwer set in 1920s Berlin

World premiere 28 September / US premiere 6 October

Positive effects for Berlin tourism expected

Berlin/Los Angeles, 5 October 2017 After its world premiere on 28 September in Berlin, the new series "Babylon Berlin" will have its US premiere tomorrow in Los Angeles. The TV films by director Tom Tykwer based on the mystery novels of Volker Kutscher take place in the Berlin of the 1920s. Many scenes were shot on location in Berlin. The series will first be seen on Sky Germany starting 13 October and then air on the public ARD network next autumn. "Babylon Berlin" is also already scheduled to air internationally in the United States, the UK, Russia, and Spain. visitBerlin made a €150,000 contribution to the production and expects positive effects for the city.

"Babylon Berlin brings the history and mythology of 1920s Berlin to life. This era shapes Berlin to this day and Tom Tykwer's series will share it with an international audience," says Burkhard Kieker, CEO of visitBerlin. "Since the latest trend is for people to travel to film locations, we expect the series to bring a lot of new visitors to Berlin."

According to a Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg study, some 10% of the people who come to Berlin as tourists have been inspired by films and series shot in the German capital.

Leading German TV series production

The series "Babylon Berlin", with an initial run of 16 episodes, is adapted from Volker Kutscher's best-selling mystery novels and is set in the 1920s, an era of massive social upheaval and rampant inflation in Germany. Young Cologne police chief Gereon Rath is transferred to Berlin and uncovers an extortion ring. The series was shot on location in Berlin. Locations used include Alexanderplatz and the former Delphi silent cinema in Weißensee.

Offers for visitors looking for Babylon and the 1920s in Berlin

On visitBerlin.de/Babylon-Berlin, visitors can learn about the series and immerse themselves in the life of Germany's capital and largest city in the 1920s. The website also features numerous tips for all those who want to explore the Weimar-era city: tours, architectural highlights such as Berlin's Modernist housing estates and the Bauhaus Archive, 1920s-themed events such as Bohème Sauvage, swing dancing at Clärchens Ballhaus, and the Berlin Burlesque Festival in November.