This Homolulu Berlin tour is about queer role models, activists, and pioneers of the queer movement that began in 19th-century Berlin. We cover milestones such as the world's first public coming-out, the first gay activist group, the first Institute for Sexology, the first gender reassignment surgery, and the vibrant queer nightlife of the Roaring Twenties.
Along the way, we encounter remarkable personalities such as Magnus Hirschfeld, Dora Richter, Christopher Isherwood, Cläre Waldoff, Marlene Dietrich, and Anita Berber. We discover surprising stories, including how a police chief supported the homosexual community at the end of the 19th century and why Berlin “invented homosexuality.” The tour includes a stop at the second oldest gay bar in the world that is still in operation, as well as at the vibrant venue where women partied wildly and sought a companion for the night. Of course, we can't leave out the internationally renowned club Eldorado on Motzstraße, where the tour ends.
We start at Unter den Linden, stop at Gendarmenmarkt, ride past the Brandenburg Gate and through the Tiergarten, pass the Federal Chancellery on our way to the banks of the Spree, and finally discover the queer districts of Nollendorfplatz and Motzstraße in Schöneberg.
The tour lasts about 3 hours and ends in Schöneberg on Motzstraße.
Please bring a bike or scooter!
Berlin is best explored by bike. The city is flat and cycling is not very strenuous. However, Berlin is very sprawling, which makes it difficult to explore everything on foot, so a bike is the perfect option. There are many bike rental companies that you can book via a mobile app. Here are some options (prices may have changed), e.g.:
- Callabike: “Starter” 10 EUR/day
-Next Bike: Bike price, 24 hours max. €15
-Lime/Uber/Bolt: eScooter & eBike: changing offers
We will meet at Unter den Linden 4, in front of the Neue Wache, by the benches to the right of the building (when you have your back to the street).
Homolulu Berlin is looking forward to seeing you and to the tour!
