The exhibition follows the eventful paths and stages of queer life in Mannheim and the region. On the one hand, they are characterized by persecution, stigmatization and discrimination, and on the other hand by rebellion, queer emancipation and the emergence of queer communities.

The MARCHIVUM exhibition, curated by Dr. Andreas Schenk, is a follow-up project to the book “Queer in Life! Gender and Sexual Diversity in the Past and Present of the Rhine-Neckar Region”, published in 2022. The paths and stations of queer life in Mannheim and the region shown in the exhibition lead to the history of persecution and emancipation, to biographies and queer places. Local queer associations are also presented.

The exhibition not only creates an opportunity for the queer community to come to terms with its own history and thus be empowered, but also creates queer visibility in a place that is visited by many people who do not belong to the queer community and thus creates a space in which prejudices can be questioned and acceptance strengthened.

City Profile: Mannheim