17 May 1946 marked the birth of Deutsche Film AG, later to become the GDR's nationally owned film company, when the cultural commissioner Colonel Sergei Tulpanov issued the first filming licence from the Soviet military administration. Since then, more than 700 feature films, 2250 documentaries and short films, 2000 newsreels, 950 animated films and numerous dubbed versions have been produced. During the more than 40-year existence of DEFA, many works of film-historical as well as artistic significance were created. Our collections point to the spectrum of film art, to opportunities used and freedom worked out. Arranged according to names and themes, they provide insights into the filmmaking of the GDR, in-depth and differentiated views of an important chapter in German film history. (Photo: "Spur der Steine", 1966, with Manfred Krug)