The Maschinenmensch (literally 'machine-human' in German) is a fictional humanoid robot featured in Thea von Harbou's novel Metropolis and Fritz Lang's film adaption of the novel.

The intertitles of the 2010 restoration of Metropolis quote Rotwang, the robot's creator, referring to his gynoid Maschinenmensch, literally translated as "Machine human".

In the film version Rotwang proudly proclaims that Hel, his former lover, is not dead but alive in the form of the automaton.

The resulting costume was then spray-painted with cellon varnish spray mixed with silvery bronze powder which gave it the convincing appearance of polished metal.

[citation needed] The 2010 restoration of Metropolis revealed a previously unseen scene where Rotwang confides his plans to the robot.

According to actor Rudolf Klein-Rogge, it was tight and confining, pinching and scratching the actress despite many attempts by the stage hands to file away all sharp edges.

[3] Director Fritz Lang shot the scene so many times that an exhausted Helm asked him why she should play the role, when no one would possibly know she was inside the costume.

"[4] Helm's son believes that Lang was trying to teach the 17-year-old girl some discipline and mold her in his image, almost like the characters she played.

To help Helm get up from the throne made of sheet metal, a wooden rig was constructed, so that a stage hand could give her a push.

[6][7] The memorable transformation scene was another early miracle of special effects, using a series of matte cutouts of the robot's silhouette and a number of circular neon lights.

The magazine Science and Invention suggested at the time that fluorescent lights were used as a purely practical effect, moved up and down manually on invisible wires by stage hands.

Artificial beings with a malevolent nature were popular at the time, as seen in films such as Der Golem or Marcel L'Herbier's L'Inhumaine.

German band Kraftwerk's 1978 album Die Mensch-Maschine is a clear reference to the film and has a track titled "Metropolis".

Original designs by Ralph McQuarrie for C-3PO in Star Wars were largely based on the Maschinenmensch, albeit in a male version.