Queer History Walk: Discover Tiergartens meaning for Berlins queer culture

This event will be centered around LGBTQ plus history led by Hani, transgender nonbinary Jewish historian who uses they/them pronouns. Everyone, allies included, are encouraged to attend and learn about the history and significance of Tiergarten and the importance of the work that occured here. Your name, pronouns and gender will be respected here.

Tiergarten Park has been a center of queer culture in Berlin since it was established. The trees, bushes, meadows, and statues here have many more untold stories of the history, love, and magic they have witnessed. Some of the herbs and flowers worn on hats or lapels by queer people in public to saftley be visable grow abundantly in this park.

On this walk we will talk about what life was like 100 years ago for queer people living in Berlin. We will look at old photographs, discuss locations of bars and cafes where people could be themselves, and read some biographies of those who passed through the Institute of Sexual Sciences, inagurated in 1919 on what is now the current grounds of the House of World Cultures.

Magnus Hirschfeld was a Queer Jewish sexologist and doctor who operated the Institute for Sexual Sciences and advocated for the abolition of Paragraph 175. In this institute some of the first gender confirmation surgeries were performed here in the 1920s and early 30s. Our walk will pass by the memorial for the institute where we will discuss what we can learn about the past to make the future better for everyone.

At the end of our walk we will sit together at the former institute's grounds to reflect on our walk and the things we learned together. There are many flowers in this field that we will use to learn to create flower crowns or braided herb bundles.