This is a list of the most notable films produced in the German Empire until 1918, in year order.
It includes German films from the introduction of the medium to the resignation of the Emperor at the end of World War I. Many of these films laid the groundwork for German Expressionism.
For an alphabetical list of articles on films of the period see .
| Title | Director | Cast | Genre | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1895 | |||||
| Akrobatisches Potpourri | Grunato family | Documentary | Release: Nov. 1 | ||
| Bauerntanz zweier Kinder | Documentary | Release: Nov 1 | |||
| Boxing Kangaroo | Mr Delaware | Documentary | Release: Nov 1 | ||
| The German Emperor Reviewing His Troops | Earliest known footage of Kaiser Wilhelm | ||||
| Opening of the Kiel Canal | Early footage of Kaiser Wilhelm | ||||
| Serpentinen Tanz | Documentary | Release: Nov 1 | |||
| 1896 | |||||
| Leben und Treiben am Alexanderplatz | |||||
| 1897 | |||||
| Apotheose II | |||||
| 1898 | |||||
| Kaiser von Deutschland, der Kaiser von Österreich und der König von Sachsen am Tage der Jubiläumsfeier in Dresden | English: The Kaiser of Germany, the Kaiser of Austria and the King of Saxony on the day of the Jubilee Fair in Dresden | ||||
| 1899 | |||||
| German Lancers | A parade of the famous Second Guards, one of Emperor William's favorite regiments. | ||||
| When the Bugle Sounds 'Charge' | An attack by the famous Second Guards Regiment of Emperor William's Army on the Paradefeld. |
| width=21% | Title | width=16% | Director | width=22% | Cast | width=13% | Genre | width=28% | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | |||||||||
| Einzug unserer Chinakrieger in Berlin am 16.12.1900 | English: The Entry of Our China Soldiers in Berlin on Dec. 16, 1900 (about Boxer Rebellion?) | ||||||||
| Eine moderne Jungfrau von Orleans | English: A Modern Maid of Orleans | ||||||||
| 1901 | |||||||||
| Einzug der Königin von Holland mit ihrem Gemahl in Schwerin | English: The Entry of the Queen of The Netherlands with her Consort in Schwerin | ||||||||
| 1902 | |||||||||
| When Knighthood Was in Flower | |||||||||
| 1903 | |||||||||
| Mr. Krebs in seiner senationellen Schleifenfahrt | English: Mr. Krebs in his Sensational Bicycleride | ||||||||
| Der lustige Ehemann | |||||||||
| 1904 | |||||||||
| The Whistling Bowery Boy | |||||||||
| Kämpfe vor Port Arthur | English: The Campaign for Port Arthur | ||||||||
| 1905 | |||||||||
| Eine Fliegenjagd oder Die Rache der Frau Schultze | English: Hunting a Fly; Or, The Revenge of Frau Schultze | ||||||||
| Afrikanische Kriegsbilder | War documentary | English: African War Pictures | |||||||
| 1906 | |||||||||
| Apachentanz | Oskar Messter, Albert Kutzner | English: Apache Dance (A French dance) | |||||||
| Meißner Porzellan | |||||||||
| 1909 | |||||||||
| Prosit Neujahr 1910! | Animated film | First animated German film |
| width=21% | Title | width=16% | Director | width=22% | Cast | width=13% | Genre | width=28% | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | |||||||||
| Arsène Lupin contra Sherlock Holmes | |||||||||
| Die geheimnisvolle Streichholzdose | Animated film | Available online here | |||||||
| Sumurûn | |||||||||
| 1911 | |||||||||
| Der schwarze Traum | German-Danish co-production; Danish: Den Sorte drøm | ||||||||
| Die Suppe | partly animated film | An advertisement for Maggi-Wuerze Available online here | |||||||
| The Traitress | Drama | ||||||||
| 1912 | |||||||||
| In Nacht und Eis | English: In Night and Ice; first German Titanic film ever made | ||||||||
| Das Mirakel | |||||||||
| Der Nähkasten | animated film | ||||||||
| The Oath of Stephan Huller | Drama | ||||||||
| Poor Jenny | |||||||||
| Schatten des Meeres | English: In the Shadow of the Sea | ||||||||
| Tanz der Flaschen (Kupferberg Gold) | animated film | ||||||||
| Tanz der Flaschen (Maggi) | animated film | An advertisement for Maggi-Wuerze | |||||||
| 1913 | |||||||||
| Der Film von der Königin Luise | English: A Film of Queen Louise; in 3 parts | ||||||||
| Die Insel der Seligen | |||||||||
| The Life and Works of Richard Wagner | [1] | ||||||||
| Der neue Schreibtisch | |||||||||
| Das rosa Pantöffelchen | Franz Hofer | Comedy | |||||||
| Der Steckbrief | |||||||||
| The Student of Prague | English: A Bargain With Satan | ||||||||
| The Weapons of Youth | Friedrich Müller | Gertrud Gräbner, Conrad Wiene | |||||||
| 1914 | |||||||||
| The Armoured Vault | Thriller | ||||||||
| Der Hund von Baskerville | Crime | ||||||||
| Detektiv Braun | Rudolf Meinert | Alwin Neuß, Friedrich Kühne | Crime | ||||||
| Eine Venezianische Nacht | |||||||||
| The Firm Gets Married | Comedy | ||||||||
| Die geheimnisvolle Villa | |||||||||
| He This Way, She That Way | Robert Wiene | Max Zilzer, Manny Ziener | Comedy | ||||||
| The Iron Cross | Drama | ||||||||
| Ivan Koschula | Drama | ||||||||
| The Man in the Cellar | Thriller | ||||||||
| Miss Piccolo | Comedy | ||||||||
| The Silent Mill | Drama | ||||||||
| width=21% | Title | width=16% | Director | width=22% | Cast | width=13% | Genre | width=28% | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aufs Eis geführt | Comedy | [2] | |||||||
| Berlin im Kriegsjahr | documentary | ||||||||
| The Canned Bride | Margarete Kupfer, Guido Herzfeld | Comedy | |||||||
| The Dancer | Drama | ||||||||
| Deutsche Kriegswoche | documentary | ||||||||
| Fluch der Schönheit | Drama | [3] | |||||||
| Der Golem | |||||||||
| Ein Held des Unterseebootes | documentary | ||||||||
| Laugh Bajazzo | Drama | ||||||||
| Miss Piccolo | Franz Hofer | Comedy | |||||||
| No Sin on the Alpine Pastures | Comedy | ||||||||
| Photographischer Wettbewerb | documentary | ||||||||
| Robert and Bertram | Max Mack | Eugen Burg, Ferdinand Bonn | Comedy | ||||||
| The Tunnel | William Wauer | Friedrich Kayßler, Fritzi Massary | Drama | ||||||
| The Vice | Drama | ||||||||
| Der Zahnteufel | partly animated film | An advertisement for Beiersdorfer Available online here | |||||||
| Zucker und Zimt | Comedy | [4] | |||||||