Gerlind Institute for Cultural Studies

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Die Legende von Paul und Paula

106 min | Director Heiner Carow | 1973 | Germany | German with English subtitles | NTSC

The film made the band Puhdys a household name in East Germany. The band performs four songs in the film, all of which drew heavily upon specific western pop songs. The film’s enduring popularity led to a stretch of waterfront on the Rummelsburger See (Rummelsburg Lake) in Berlin-Lichtenberg, near where the boat scene was filmed, to be renamed Paul und Paula-Ufer (Paul And Paula Shore).

Paul’s new apartment was on the third floor of Singerstraße 51 in Friedrichshain. Paula’s apartment across the street was demolished, as shown in the film. A supermarket now occupies part of the site.

Berlin Ostbahnhof can briefly be seen in some of the outdoor scenes, as it is only a short distance from the Singerstraße. The supermarket where Paula worked is located at what was then Leninplatz (now Platz der Vereinten Nationen).