Osnivanje i prve godine djelovanja osječkog kina „Urania“ (1912. – 1918.)

The emergence and popularization of cinematographers at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries indicates the industrial-modernizing transformation of the civil society exposed by new means of entertainment, information and political shaping. Balancing between the ephemeral sensationalism and original ways of artistic expression, movies attracted a broad and heterogeneous public in a relatively short period, which was also the case with the Urania Cinema in Osijek’s Upper Town. As the largest permanent cinematographer here, as well as a prominent Art Nouveau building that became a recognizable motif in the urban landscape of Osijek, Urania imposed itself as one of the most important town’s cultural institutions. Still, we have known rather little about the specific content that was shown there in the earliest years of the work of this cinematic company. Concerning the available archival materials, circumstances surrounding the foundation of Urania in Osijek are analyzed in this article. Moreover, some aspects related to the cinema’s programme in the context of Osijek’s film culture formation are examined as well while making parallels with the correlative phenomena present in other European countries and the United States.