Gay Museum

Gay Museum

In the summer of 1984, an exhibition about homosexuality at the Berlin Museum led to the establishment of the Gay Museum. It was the first time Germany had hosted a public exhibition related to homosexuality, and the Gay Museum officially opened in 1985.

Located near a gay club in Berlin, the Gay Museum is the world's first museum dedicated to homosexuality. Since 2004, its permanent exhibition has been "Self-Awareness and Self-Determination: 200 Years of Homosexual History," which primarily reveals the various strategies, advice, and challenges that homosexual individuals encountered as they sought to find their place in society between 1790 and 1990. These issues gave rise to a series of social and legal problems, such as Paragraph 175 of the German Criminal Code—which criminalized homosexuality—violence against homosexuals, discrimination and convictions, as well as victories in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. The museum also hosts regular temporary exhibitions that cover important historical events related to homosexuality, such as "Goodbye to Berlin – 100 Years of Gay Rights." Additionally, the lives of notable LGBTQ+ figures are showcased, including Oscar Wilde, Marlene Dietrich, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and Michel Foucault.

The museum’s archive houses a collection of periodicals dating back to 1896, along with a wealth of photographs, audio recordings, films, video materials, and artworks related to homosexuality. Its library contains over 10,000 books on LGBTQ+ topics.

Schwules Museum (Gay Museum)

Why Go: The world’s oldest gay museum

Continent: Europe【Europe】

Country/Region: Germany[Germany]

Province/State: Berlin[Berlin]

City: Berlin [Berlin]