[2] In 1887, at the current location of the Rex Theatre, a restaurant and hotel with a large glass performance hall known as the "Salamander" was completed.

The first film was shown in 1889, resulting in the Rex Theatre today claiming to be virtually the oldest cinema in the world.

[3] In the twenties and thirties as films became a popular source of entertainment led the Salamander to be rebuilt as a movie theatre by architect Hans Becker.

[2] In 1950, the owner, Leo Häusler, hired Düsseldorf architect Hanns Rüttgers to rebuild the destroyed theatre.

However, in 1954 the theatre changed its name again after a legal dispute with the shoe manufacturer Salamander [az; da; de; fr; kk; ro; ru] to "Rex-Filmbühne" (Rex Film Stage).