Where It All Began: Berlin’s Queer & Trans History Tour

Walk through the birthplace of the modern LGBTQIA+ movement on this immersive guided tour. Explore 100+ years of queer and trans history, from the world’s first LGBTQIA+ activists to Berlin’s legendary lesbian and gay nightlife, feminist movements, and queer resistance under the Nazis.

Why This Tour is a Must for LGBTQIA+ Travelers and Berliners Alike

Berlin is more than just a queer-friendly city—it’s where the modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement was born. Long before Stonewall, Berlin was home to the world’s first gay rights activists, radical lesbian feminists, and early trans pioneers.

This tour is perfect for queer travelers, history buffs, LGBTQIA+ locals, and allies who want to:

✅ Step into the past with 200+ archival photos, videos, rare audio clips, personal quotes, and interactive elements—including Augmented Reality scenes.
✅ Learn about the world's first queer and trans identities, from Karl Heinrich Ulrichs to Dora Richter and Lili Elbe.
✅ Uncover the hidden history of Berlin’s lesbian and feminist movements, from the 1920s cabarets to post-war activism.
✅ Discover the vibrant world of queer nightlife, from lesbian dance halls to the clubs that defined modern Berlin.
✅ Understand how LGBTQIA+ people resisted oppression, from the Nazi era to the fight against AIDS.
✅ Join a passionate, expert guide who is a queer activist, social scientist, and sex educator.

What You’ll Discover on This Tour

🏳️‍🌈 The Birth of the LGBTQIA+ Movement
Meet Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, the “world’s first gay man,” and explore how Magnus Hirschfeld and his feminist allies fought for the rights of queer people, women, and trans individuals over a century ago.

⚧️ The First Transgender Identities & Gender-Affirming Surgeries
Learn about the world’s first gender-affirming surgeries, how “transvestite certificates” allowed early trans people to live openly, and how Nazis tried to erase this history.

⚢ The Legacy of Berlin’s Lesbian Community—From 1920s Nightlife to Post-War Activism
Step into the lesbian bars and cabarets of Weimar Berlin, where queer women found freedom and community. Discover how Claire Waldoff’s music became anthems of defiance, how Marlene Dietrich turned androgyny into an international sensation, and how Black bisexual icon Josephine Baker made history in Berlin. Learn about the hidden lesbian resistance under the Nazis and how post-war activists helped reignite Berlin’s queer movement.

🎭 Berlin’s Wild 1920s Queer Scene
Visit the hotspots of lesbian bars, drag clubs, and queer cabarets that made Berlin the most LGBTQIA+ inclusive city of its time.

🕯️ LGBTQIA+ Life Under the Nazis
Understand Hitler’s contradictory views on homosexuality, the fate of LGBTQIA+ people in concentration camps, and how queer resistance survived the Nazi era.

🏥 The Aids Crisis & Queer Activism in Divided Berlin
Find out how Berlin’s LGBTQIA+ community fought for survival, how SchwuZ nightclub became an activist hub, and why the Berlin Wall was called “the condom of the GDR.”

🎶 Queer Berlin’s Influence on Today’s Club & Pride Scene
See how trans icons like Romy Haag revolutionized Berlin’s nightlife, how Kreuzberg became a hub for queer activism, and how today’s clubs like Berghain, SO36, and Folsom Europe continue the tradition.

A Tour Like No Other: A Fully Immersive Multimedia Experience

📜 This is not just a walking tour—it’s a multimedia journey through queer history!

📷 See history with 200+ archival photos & videos
🧠 Test your knowledge with fun interactive quiz questions
📱 Take Mixies: Augmented Reality selfies with historic queer activists
🌍 See history come alive with immersive digital recreations and interactive AR scenes

Your Guide: A Passionate Queer Activist & Scholar

Your guide, Jeff, is a social scientist, certified sex educator, and LGBTQIA+ activist with over a decade of experience researching and writing about Berlin’s queer history. With a background in sociology, gender studies, and sex education, Jeff brings deep knowledge, engaging storytelling, and personal insight into the tour.

Tour Details

📍 Tour Duration: ~3.5 hours
📍 Where We Meet: Nollendorfplatz, in front of Alnatura supermarket
📍 Languages: English (private German tours upon request)
📍 Who It’s For: LGBTQIA+ travelers, queer history enthusiasts, feminist & trans history lovers, Berlin locals, and allies

✨ Perfect for solo travelers, couples, and groups! Whether you’re visiting Berlin for the first time or you’re a local wanting to reconnect with queer history, this tour will give you a deeper understanding of LGBTQIA+ culture and its lasting impact on the world.