Exploring Hamburg's Queer Past and Present
Every May, Hamburg transforms into a living archive. The QueerHistoryMonth is a city-wide community event dedicated to exploring the diverse histories of LGBTQIA+ communities — celebrating how varied, courageous, and creative queer history truly is.
A collective project brought together by local associations, initiatives, and individuals, the event is open to everyone: kings, quings, queens, allies, friends, chosen families, and all those in between and beyond.
A Month of Stories
Throughout May, Hamburg plays host to a wide-ranging programme that brings queer history to life in unexpected and engaging ways. Alongside exhibitions and historical walking tours, the programme embraces everything from music bingo and pub quizzes to workshops and community discussions. Taken together, it offers a rich and multifaceted portrait of queer life in Hamburg across the centuries.
Why It Matters
As patron of the event, Dr Gottfried Lorenz — co-author of Hamburg auf anderen Wegen: Die Geschichte des schwulen Lebens in der Hansestadt — argues that understanding the present is only possible if we know its history. By bringing the stories of persecution and discrimination faced by sexual and gender minorities into the open, the QueerHistoryMonth aims to build a better understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community and help break down prejudice.
For more information and the full programme, visit the official website.
Dates:
1–31 May 2026
