I Research Text

Berlin – Europe’s Queer Capital The LGBTI Community in Berlin

Berlin, June 2016 Exhilarating, open-minded, multicultural – Berlin is one of Europe's most vibrant and a gay-friendly cities. Queer culture here is pretense-free and very much an integral part of daily life. Instead of a dedicated 'gayborhood' Berlin has various stomping grounds, primarily in historical Schöneberg, alternative Kreuzberg and laid- back Prenzlauer Berg. But trendy Mitte, creative Kreuzberg and Neukölln and student neighbourhood Friedrichshain also have plenty in store for the community. The nightlife is famously liberal and devoid of snobbery, with often blurred boundaries between gay, lesbian and straight venues. From disco to techno, ballroom to darkroom, sneaker boys to leather daddies – Berlin has a scene to match everyone's taste, 24/7. The history of Berlin's lesbian and gay scene Berlin has been a pioneering force in the gay rights movement ever since Magnus Hirschfeld founded the world's first homosexual advocacy group – the Scientific Humanitarian Committee – in 1897. Unabashedly gay life thrived in the German capital in the freewheeling 1920s, luring artists, actors and creatives from all walks of life. This carefree lifestyle came 1933 provisionally to an end when Hitler came to power. The Nazis deported more than 50,000 gay men to concentration camps where a pink triangle affixed to their clothing outed them as such. Scores of them perished. Two memorials serve as sobering reminders of this dark chapter in German history: a pink granite triangle on Nollendorfplatz in Schöneberg and the "Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted under Nazism" on the eastern edge of the Tiergarten park unveiled in 2008. After the war the lesbian and gay scene was not only revitalized but actually flourished. Today, being gay is a nonissue. Scores of LGBTI tourists make the pilgrimage here to party hearty or explore the latest fashion and lifestyle trends. Hundreds of thousands take to the streets on Christopher Street Day to celebrate and demonstrate for gay rights. For a survey of Berlin's long and varied queer history, the Gay Museum in Tiergarten district is an essential stop. schwulesmuseum.de Excellent sources for keeping tabs on what's hot now are the monthly magazines Siegessäule and Blu, available for free in many of the bars, cafés and restaurants in Berlin. 'Rainbow Village' Schöneberg The area around Nollendorfplatz has been a gay mecca since the 1920s. This is where men met at the Eldorado, a famous watering hole also favored by local gals Marlene Dietrich and Claire Waldoff. Another Schöneberg resident was Christopher Isherwood,

visitBerlin / Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH Press Contact Press Office [email protected] Am Karlsbad 11 Tel.: +49 (0)30 26 47 48 – 956 D-10785 Berlin Fax: +49 (0)30 26 47 48 – 983 visitBerlin.com press.visitBerlin.com facebook.com/Berlin blog.visitBerlin.com facebook.com/visitBerlin twitter.com/BerlinTourism

I Research Text whose novella Berlin Stories forms the basis of the film and musical Cabaret. Pay homage to him at his former residence at Nollendorfstraße 17. Rainbow flags are ubiquitous in Schöneberg where gay-owned businesses range from boutiques to restaurants and book stores. The Lesbian and Gay Street Festival takes over the neighbourhood around Motzstraße for a weekend in July and is one of the largest festivals of its kind in the world, attracting more than 350,000 visitors each year. The festival is also an essential during the Berlin’s Pride Weeks that cover the month of July, bundling together more than 200 cultural, political, and sporting events. In addition to the festival on Motzstraße, the Berlin Pride Weeks include the Christopher Street Day Parade, CSD on the Spree, and Gay Night at the Zoo. regenbogenfonds.de; csd-berlin.de; csd-auf-der-spree.de; gay-night-at-the-zoo.de Many bars and pubs in Schöneberg are considered institutions. Case in point: the retro- flavored Café Berio whose sidewalk tables are the perfect people-watching perch. HarDie's Kneipe is another neighborhood favorite. Foodies should book a table at More a designer nosh spot that serves meals from morning to night. More rustic cuisine is on the menu at the cozy Raststätte Gnadenbrot. cafeberio.de; hardieskneipe-berlin.de; more-berlin.de; raststaette-gnadenbrot.de Although younger gays tend to prefer other neighborhoods, Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain especially, for flirting and partying, there's still plenty happening in Schöneberg, especially along Motzstraße and Fuggerstraße. Perennially packed places for kicking off a night on the razzle include the all-comers Hafen and the modish lounge Heile Welt. Prinzknecht gets kudos for its outrageous theme parties. Girls, meanwhile, gravitate to Begine for dance parties and cultural events. hafen-berlin.de; heile-welt- berlin.de; prinzknecht.de; begine.de A classic cruising spot is Tom's Bar, which draws a good mix of locals and Berlin visitors. Connection is another crowd magnet; here patrons rock the dance floor or get lost in the giant cruising labyrinth. New Action exerts its pull on the fetish crowd, which is especially strong in Schöneberg. Folsom Europe is a festival held in early September each year that turns the neighbourhood around Fuggerstraße into the place to be for Europe’s fetish scene. tomsbar.de; connection-berlin.de; newactionberlin.de; folsomeurope.info Creative and multicultural: Kreuzberg and Neukölln Even more than 25 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Kreuzberg still hones its reputation as a countercultural cauldron. This is where the homo scene skews young, eclectic and alternative, driven by students and creatives. Cafes and bars exude plenty of relaxed queer cred and often keep doors open until sunrise or beyond.

I Research Text

There are several lesbian and gay hubs. In gentrified western Kreuzberg a stroll through the Bergmannkiez, which teems with eclectic boutiques and restaurants, is highly recommended. The main gay amusement district, though, is the close-by Mehringdamm. A popular stop is the café Melitta Sundström, whose outdoor tables are especially packed with people-watchers. The pretty-in-pink BarbieBar draws an all-day crowd with its gooey cakes. melitta-sundstroem.de; barbiebar.de After dark, it's well worth checking out what's on at the BKA Theater whose program flits from improvisation to stand-up comedy, satirical cabaret to transvestite shows. Afterwards, treat your belly to the quintessential Berlin snack: a Currywurst (sausage doused in spicy tomato sauce and dusted with curry powder) from the legendary Curry 36 sausage kitchen. Then report to glittery Rauschgold for all-night partying. In the sauna Boiler men are among themselves: here they can find some relaxation – or a new adventure. bka-theater.de; rauschgold.berlin; boiler-berlin.de In party-centric eastern Kreuzberg, nocturnal action concentrates around U-Bahn station Kottbusser Tor. Möbel Olfe, a furniture store turned bar, draws a mixed crowd nightly but goes thoroughly gay on Thursdays. For late-night refueling, a stop at pink-furry- walled Roses, an over-the-top wonderland of camp and kitsch, is a must. Right next door, SO 36 is the mother of all punk clubs, but also hosts lesbigay parties. On Sundays, you can whoop it up with waltz and foxtrot during Café Fatal, while the monthly Gayhane party draws a multicultural crowd with Turkish and Arabic pop. moebel-olfe.de; so36.de There's plenty more happening around the U-Bahn station Schlesisches Tor. At the charmingly trashy Barbie Deinhoff's you could drop by for cocktail hour before moving on to canalside Club der Visionäre to chill under the old willow trees. Nearby, the Badeschiff is a lifestyle pool floating in the river Spree. barbiedeinhoff.de; clubdervisionaere.de; arena-berlin.de Drag queen Nina Queer is a busy lady, hosting two parties every month. Her Irrenhouse Party at Club Musik und Frieden has long since become a fixture in the gay nightlife calendar. Rose Kennedy, her other party, is held monthly at the outdoor Birgit und Bier club. On the site of a former amusement park, it’s the perfect spot for queer gamers and casual players to get their kicks with shooting games and pinball machines. Other highlight: the spacious beer garden. ninaqueer.com Those keen on a 'hands-on' experience should report to the Naked Sex party at Club Culture Houze; other kinky events draw fetish fans of all sexual orientations on other nights. club-culture-houze.de

I Research Text

In recent years the nightlife spark has leapt over the Landwehrkanal to northern Neukölln, aka 'Kreuzkölln', thanks to its proximity to Kreuzberg. In this trending 'it' district new galleries, small shops and candlelit pubs decorated with flea-market open almost weekly. This is also where the kitschy-cool queer pub collective Silverfuture doles out cheap drinks and madcap fun. A few steps on, the teensy Theater im Keller presents wacky transvestite shows on weekends. For an even more offbeat experience, pop by Galerie Studio St. St. for campy song-and-dance shows hosted by painter, singer and drag queen extraordinaire, Juwelia Soraya. silverfuture.net; theater-im-keller.de The gay centre SchwuZ, established in 1977, has been a pioneer of Berlin’s queer scene. In 2013, it moved to Neukölln’s Rollberg neighbourhood on the premises of the former Kindl-Brauerei. The basement club offers theme parties like Madonnamania, the sporty Popkicker and lesbian L-Tunes. In addition, the centre hosts discussions and concerts. schwuz.de Young and dynamic: Friedrichshain Friedrichshain's dynamic party scene is tailor-made for young fun-seekers from around the world. Lesbian and gays steer towards unassuming Himmelreich for drinking and discourse; on Tuesdays it's women only. The key cruising destination is Grosse Freiheit 114 with its busy darkroom. Zum Schmutzigen Hobby, the bar of trash-drag diva Nina Queer, also has a league of loyal locals. gay-friedrichshain.de/grosse-freiheit-114/de/; himmelreich-berlin.de; ninaqueer.com Of course the undisputed heavyweight in Friedrichshain is Berghain. Top DJs pull international party people into the dark labyrinth of a defunct power station famous for its hedonistic vibe. Under the same roof are the smaller Berghain Kantine, where furry men convene monthly for the Pet Shop Bears party, and the extremely hands-on Lab.oratory, which draws adventurous males to such parties as Naked Sunday or Yellow Facts. berghain.de; petshopbears.com; lab-oratory.de The club Die Busche has garnered a cult following among wrinkle-free clubbers for its trashy 80s décor and matching chart music. Another popular Monday queer pit stop is the 'Multisexual Boxhopping', an unusual spin on karaoke fun, at Monster Ronson's Ichiban Karaoke. diebusche.de; karaokemonster.de Family district and queer culture: Prenzlauer Berg Thanks to gentrification and a heavy influx of families, the eastern district of Prenzlauer Berg may no longer be a big party zone, but there's still a sizeable queer community and plenty of hip bars, lounges, cafes and clubs conducive to meeting, drinking and partying. Most locations are usually mixed and only gay-focused on certain days of the week. On Thursdays, for instance, tourists and Berlin newcomers mingle in the tunnel-shaped lounge-bar Perle for Queer Beer Thursday. bar-perle.de

I Research Text

On Gleimstraße a long-time gay fave is the mellow Schall und Rauch, a stylish café known for its opulent weekend breakfast buffet and attached guesthouse. At night, regulars belly up to the bar of shoebox-sized Privatleben, whose flattering lighting and red walls make everyone look good. The party crowd gravitates to Marienhof where bingo nights and vodka parties fuel a buzzy vibe. schall-und-rauch.de; privatleben- berlin.de; marienhof-berlin.de On Thursdays point your late-night compass to Chantal's House of Shame, an over-the- top bash at Bassy Club, hosted by a local drag queen and featuring fancy bands and performance artists. For low-key cruising steer towards Greifbar and the XXL. More hardcore types should check out the Naked Sex Party, the Slave Market and other fetish- themed events at Stahlrohr 2.0. facebook.com/ChantalsHouseofShame; greifbar.com; xxl-berlin.de; stahlrohr.info For women, there is the monthly Mondo Klit Rock Party at Roadrunner’s Club. roadrunners-paradise.de Maxing out in classy Mitte Although Mitte is hardly a gay quarter, Berlin's most central district does exert its pull on trend- and fashion-conscious types. Browse for the latest threads in the boutiques of international and local designer labels in the maze of lanes and courtyards around Hackescher Markt. Nearby, busy Torstraße has evolved into a strip for foodies and bar goers of all sexual persuasions. Fancy-pants libation stations include the exclusive Tausend, the tiny – and thus hilariously misnamed – King Size Bar, and the chill Mein Haus am See, which doubles as a gallery and performance space. But there are also a few places in Mitte, which are less glamorous and chic. One of them is Betty F***, a pint-sized drinking station brimming with chatty and friendly folk. Every Sunday evening, the GMF party regularly draws gay party folks to the 2BE Club in Berlin-Mitte. tausendberlin.com; mein- haus-am-see.blogspot.de; bettyf.de; gmf-berlin.de Somewhat more permissive is the legendary KitKatClub, which draws a polysexual crowd for dancing, flirting and more. A similar but more elegant venue is Insomnia, which hosts erotic dance parties on Saturdays and more explicit theme nights during the week. kitkatclub.de; insomnia-berlin.de Gay events have also made their way to the former “no-gay’s-land” of Berlin-Wedding, now a part of Mitte: Moritzbar has since become popular with a rather young gay and lesbian crowd. moritzbar.com

I Research Text

Berlin – the first city with a comprehensive LGTB concept Berlin is an open-minded city and one of the leading gay travel destinations. The hotel network pink pillow Berlin Collection, which focuses specifically on queer tourists, is a unique initiative of visitBerlin and city-wide hotels. Currently almost 60 hotels in Berlin stand for gay-friendly accommodations. The pink pillow Berlin Collection will be gradually expanded by other hotels. A current overview of the participating hotels and more information can be found on pinkpillow-berlin.com.

For more information go to gay.visitBerlin.com.

(14.041 characters)