Le Cosmos

Le Cosmos is a historic movie theater and arts centre located at the corner of 3 rue des Francs-Bourgeois and rue des Sept-Hommes in Strasbourg, France, near Place Kléber. Completed in 1913 and inscribed as a monument historique in 1990, it is one of the oldest cinemas in France. The building was originally opened as the Union Theater (U.T.) on 3 January 1914, named after the famous Union Theater on Alexanderplatz in Berlin, reflecting Strasbourg's status as part of the German Empire at the time. Over the decades it was renamed ABC in the late 1950s and operated by the Gaumont group, which already owned three other cinemas in Strasbourg. Facing competition from multiplexes, the ABC closed in 1986. The City of Strasbourg, which owns the walls, converted the building into a multi-purpose cultural space known as the Odyssée. From April 2022 to 2 June 2023, following renovation work to improve accessibility for people with reduced mobility and other modifications, the Odyssée was renamed Le Cosmos to evoke travel and imagination. The cinema is municipally owned and operates as a state-owned cultural venue. Its exterior facade, entrance portico, ticket offices, vestibule, staircase, foyer, and grand auditorium with parterre and balcony are all protected as historical monuments. The official website is cinemaodyssee.com, which also hosts general news content. Le Cosmos remains an active cultural landmark in Strasbourg, combining film exhibition with heritage preservation.

Le Cosmos traces its origins to the Union Theater (U.T.), a cinema-theater completed in 1913 at the corner of 3 rue des Francs-Bourgeois and rue des Sept-Hommes in Strasbourg. At the time, Strasbourg was part of the German Empire, and the name referenced the famous Union Theater on Alexanderplatz in Berlin. The official opening took place on 3 January 1914 at 8:30 p.m., with two films: Une chasse au Rhinocéros en Afrique orientale and L'Étudiant de Prague by Hans Heinz Ewers, starring Paul Wegener. In the late 1950s, the cinema was renamed ABC and managed by the Gaumont group, which already operated three other cinemas in Strasbourg: L'Eldorado on Grand'rue, the Studio Kléber at Aubette, and the Ritz on quai Kellermann. Facing competition from multiplexes, the ABC was forced to close in 1986. The City of Strasbourg, which owns the walls, transformed the building into a multi-purpose cultural space called the Odyssée. From April 2022 to 2 June 2023, after renovation work to improve access to the main auditorium for people with reduced mobility and other modifications, the Odyssée was renamed Le Cosmos to evoke travel and imagination. The building has been inscribed as a monument historique since 1990, with specific exterior and interior elements protected by decree of 4 May 1990. These include the main facade at 3 rue des Francs-Bourgeois with its entrance portico and ticket offices; the corresponding side facade with two bays on rue des Sept-Hommes; the corresponding roof; and interior elements with their decor: the ground-floor vestibule, the staircase and stairwell leading to the foyer, the first-floor foyer and the staircase to the balcony, and the grand auditorium with parterre on the ground floor and balcony on the first floor. The cinema remains active as a cultural venue in Strasbourg.

• 2023

  Renaming to Le Cosmos completed on 2 June.

• 2022

  Renovation work begins in April; Odyssée renamed Le Cosmos.

• 1990

  Inscribed as monument historique by decree of 4 May.

• 1986

  ABC closed due to multiplex competition.

• 1950

  Renamed ABC in the late 1950s, managed by Gaumont group.

• 1914

  Official opening on 3 January with two films.

• 1913

  Union Theater (U.T.) cinema-theater completed in Strasbourg.

Historic, municipally owned cinema and arts centre in central Strasbourg, combining film exhibition with architectural heritage.

• Film screenings

• Arts and cultural events

• Historic venue rental

1. 1Cinemaodysseecinemaodyssee.com
2. 225% of Subscribers Consider Canceling Streaming Services – Cinemaodysseecinemaodyssee.com
3. 3Le Cosmoswikidata.org
4. 4Cosmos (cinéma)fr.wikipedia.org