Introductory discussion about the Historical Perspective of Homosexuality

Here at Bebelplatz, we delve into the tale of the burning of books from the library of the institute of sexual science along with a bust of Hirschfeld on May 10, 1933

Shockingly, the Nazis abruptly terminated the freedoms enjoyed in 20’s Berlin. We remember this today at the memorial for homosexuals persecuted under National Socialism

We learn about the audacious Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, the first person globally to come out publicly, initiating the scientific debate to abolish the Prussian Sodomy Paragraph.

Historical meetup point at the current Venusbassin, when Berlin was famously known as Europe’s principal hub for homosexual clients who congregated at the Goldfish Pond & gay path in Tiergarten

Near Schloss Bellevue lies the Magnus Hirschfeld-Ufer. Magnus Hirschfeld was the period’s most influential homosexual activist, founding the world’s first gay activist group, the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee - Wissenschaftlich humanitäres Komitee (WhK), and eventually co-founding the Institute for Sexual Science, where the first sex reassignment surgeries were performed.

Gay costume balls at the Nationalhof and Holondais on Denewitzplatz represented a key aspect of the gay subculture and a subject of interest for global researchers. The Dorian Grey hosted celebratory gatherings for lesbian women.

The Kleist-Kasino, once frequented by notable Nazis like Ernst Röhm, was a hustler bar. Established in 1921, it’s one of the most enduring gay bars in Europe, and currently houses Bull, a gay fetish bar.

As the twenties began, the epicenter of the scene shifted to Schöneberg around Nollendorfplatz - a location that still stands as one of Berlin’s most significant queer neighborhoods.