Berlin's LGBTQ+ Quarters

Notable Upcoming Occurrences in Berlin

An Overview of Berlin and its Vibrant Queer Scene

The genesis of Berlin can be traced back over seven hundred eighty years. Subsequently, in the year seventeen hundred and one, Berlin ascended to the status of capital for the Kingdom of Prussia, and by eighteen hundred and seventy-one, it served as the capital of the German Empire. Despite the fact that Prussia had been governed by a homosexual monarch, Frederick II, from seventeen forty until seventeen eighty-six, the trajectory of Berlin's gay scene only truly commenced a full century thereafter. During the decade of the 1920s, often referred to as the ›Golden Twenties‹, Berlin gained recognition as the European metropolis boasting the most vibrant and progressive gay subculture. However, this era, regrettably, concluded following the year nineteen thirty-three, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party seized control in Germany. (Significantly, a memorial dedicated to individuals persecuted for their homosexuality under the Nazi regime was inaugurated in Berlin during two thousand eight, an acknowledgement that was profoundly overdue, arriving over sixty years later.)

Subsequent to the conclusion of the Second World War in nineteen forty-five and the concurrent onset of the Cold War, the city of Berlin underwent a partition, splitting into West Berlin, which was under the stewardship of the Western Allies, and East Berlin, which was administered by the Soviet Union.

West Berlin, despite its geographical isolation as an enclave within the Communist-governed German Democratic Republic (G.D.R.), re-established itself as the primary gay hub of Germany. This resurgence was not solely attributable to its substantial population of approximately three million inhabitants, but also, in part, to the exemption from mandatory military service of West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany), which did not extend to males residing in West Berlin, thereby drawing numerous younger individuals to relocate there. Following the decriminalization of homosexual relations in nineteen sixty-nine, the LGBTQ+ scene and its associated advocacy movement experienced rapid proliferation throughout West Berlin during the nineteen seventies and nineteen eighties.

The juridical standing of homosexual men in East Germany was comparatively superior within the Eastern Bloc, and, remarkably, it even surpassed the conditions found in certain Western nations; nevertheless, within the confines of such a totalitarian regime, gay men and lesbians were deprived of the fundamental right to self-organize into a civil rights movement, and prospects for the cultivation of a robust gay scene or subculture remained exceedingly limited. Towards the close of the nineteen eighties, a discernible amelioration in this state of affairs occurred, culminating in a pivotal moment: the debut of the iconic film ›Coming Out‹ – a premiere that, with striking irony, coincided precisely with the historic night of the Berlin Wall's demolition in nineteen eighty-nine.

By two thousand and one, Berlin saw the election of an openly homosexual mayor, Klaus Wowereit, who hailed from the Social Democrats political party. In a strategic move to preempt any attempt by his political adversaries to disclose his sexual orientation during the electoral contest, he proactively came out during a party convention, uttering the memorable declaration: ›Ich bin schwul, und das ist auch gut so‹ (which translates to 'I'm gay and that's just fine').

Historically speaking, specific neighborhoods catering to the gay community have been established within the districts of Schöneberg and Kreuzberg, both situated in Berlin's western sector, in addition to Prenzlauer Berg, which lies in the eastern portion of the city. The preponderance of gay-friendly accommodations, drinking establishments, coffee houses, and retail outlets throughout Berlin are concentrated in Schöneberg, a district that notably featured dance venues exclusively for men as early as the nineteen twenties.

Among the various yearly spectacles and LGBTQ+ oriented gatherings that grace Berlin's calendar are the renowned Berlinale film festival, held each February (which notably incorporates the Queer Film Award Teddy), the vibrant LGBTI street festival, the celebratory Gay Pride parade in July, and Folsom Europe, which takes place in September.

It will become evident from perusing our guide that a considerable number of gay bars and nightclubs do not display their closing times. This phenomenon is principally attributable to Berlin's current policy of having no mandatory closing times for establishments. Furthermore, Berlin's extensive public transportation network – encompassing its urban railway (S-Bahn), subterranean train system (U-Bahn), streetcars, and buses – maintains continuous operation throughout the entire night, offering services at a minimum of thirty-minute intervals on weekends.