In the footsteps of queer history: guided tours through Schwäbisch Gmünd!

In the footsteps of queer history: guided tours through Schwäbisch Gmünd!

Schwäbisch Gmünd, Deutschland - in Schwäbisch Gmünd there is an exciting city tour that deals with the queer history of the city. Under the title "Kreuz & Queer", historian Arnd Kolb leads interested participants through the streets and in special places that are important for the queer community. This exclusive tour takes place in parallel to the exhibition "Wish You Were Queer" in the Prediger Museum and illuminates hiding places that are often in the shade of the public. The next appointment for this revealing city tour is on September 27th at 2 p.m., the meeting point is the main entrance of the train station. Registrations are possible at hello@einhorn-sucht-regenbogen.de .

Special stories that are told during the tour are those of “The violinist of Gmünd” for the well -known poet Justinus Kerner. The Geigerbrunnen in the city garden is a central point of contact. Historical stories such as those of the Wilgefortis, which is opposed to the will of their father and is punished for it, illustrate the suffering stories of queer people through the centuries. Another sign of secret meetings in the city garden was a "firefly" signal that symbolizes the connection and exchange of the community in earlier times.

history and meaning queer places

The history of the queer people in Schwäbisch Gmünd also includes the abolition of paragraph 175, which until then criminished the same -sex love. However, this legal change also led to a loss of the importance of many meeting points, including a former station toilet, which was a well -known place for gay men. The Staufer frieze in Ledergasse, which is Konradin gay, is also a remarkable indication of the city's queer history. While many stories of lesbian women are less documented because their behavior was not punishable, teachers were often in demand as shelters for these women.

symbols such as the unicorn, the heraldic animal of Gmünd, has developed into an icon in the LSBTI community and not only represents otherness, but also the pride and beauty of diversity. Strong communities can arise even in the hardest times, as the Queere Community in Hamburg once did, which found important retreats in pubs, magazines and other meeting points such as parks and cultural events. In Schwäbisch Gmünd there is also this ongoing search for freedom, and the city tour makes a valuable contribution to the memory and visibility of this story.

With these historical references and personal stories, the “Kreuz & Queer” city tour becomes not only a journey into the past, but also a celebration of life and identity within the queer community. Schwäbisch Gmünd thus becomes a lively testimony of diversity and tolerance, and everyone who takes part in it becomes part of these moving stories.