SchwuZ, widely regarded as Germany’s oldest and largest gay dance club, has filed for insolvency after nearly half a century at the heart of Berlin’s vibrant LGBTQ+ scene. The club’s management cited rising costs, shifting party habits, and broader economic woes as key reasons behind the decision.
Founded in Kreuzberg in 1977, SchwuZ, short for SchwulenZentrum or ‘gay centre’ played a pivotal role in shaping queer life in the German capital. It helped launch Berlin’s first Christopher Street Day parade and the influential queer magazine Siegessäule. Over the decades, the club became a symbol of inclusion and resistance, often described as a “second living room” for the LGBTQ+ community.
Despite its deep cultural roots, SchwuZ has struggled in recent years. In a post shared to Instagram on Thursday, the club’s management announced: “SchwuZ has filed for insolvency. But: we don’t want to give up!” The message, laced with defiance and nostalgia, appealed for public support, declaring the club to be a place where many “found what we were looking for: a home, our chosen family, and freedom.”
The club’s financial struggles became increasingly dire in 2024, with reported monthly deficits ranging from €30,000 to €60,000. A crowdfunding campaign launched in May managed to raise just €3,000 of its €150,000 goal, even as SchwuZ cut staff, reduced opening hours, and scaled back drag performances. Thirty-three employees, around a third of the club’s workforce, were let go.
Katja Jäger, SchwuZ’s managing director, attributed the crisis to a combination of inflation, soaring rents and electricity costs, a faltering economy, and an ageing core clientele. She also pointed to broader changes in Berlin’s club scene, including the impact of dating apps and a growing preference for open-air events over traditional nightclubs.
“The club scene is going through a kind of Clubsterben, a death of clubs,” Jäger said, referencing the term now commonly used to describe the wave of closures hitting Berlin nightlife post-Covid.
SchwuZ’s move to a larger venue in Neukölln in 2013, with a capacity for 1,000 partygoers, may have marked the beginning of the financial downturn. The club’s size and ambition meant higher overheads, a vulnerability as audiences began to dwindle.
The news has sparked a wave of solidarity on social media. Berlin drag icon and political activist Gloria Viagra declared: “We can do it together…!!!!” Others, however, voiced criticism over the club’s allegedly outdated music selections and expensive entry fees.
Setback for SchwuZ
SchwuZ plans to remain open until at least October, when formal insolvency hearings are set to begin.
The club’s plight is emblematic of a wider crisis in Berlin’s once-thriving nightlife. Last weekend, Busche Club, a gay and lesbian venue founded in 1988 in East Berlin, shut its doors permanently, citing soaring operational costs. In December, Watergate, a prominent riverside club known for its electronic music scene, closed after 22 years, blaming inflation, rising DJ fees, and a decline in cheap flights to Berlin.
Meanwhile, Wilde Renate, a beloved techno venue, has announced its intention to close by year’s end, following years of disputes with a property developer. Other clubs face threats from ongoing infrastructure projects, such as the controversial extension of the A100 motorway, which jeopardises popular venues near Ostkreuz railway station.
Emiko Gejic, spokesperson for the Club Commission, a body representing Berlin’s nightlife industry, warned that the city risks losing more than just entertainment. “Clubs are an important part of the city’s DNA,” Gejic said. “But they’re also an economic factor.”
