Three of Berlin's oldest and most important memory institutions - the feminist archive FFBIZ, the Magnus Hirschfeld Society and the Spinnboden Lesbian Archive & Library - are building a joint archive center https://www.archivzentrum.org/ . They need financial support for this. https://www.betterplace.org/de/projects/133914utm_campaign=ShortURLs&utm_medium=project_133914&utm_source=PlainShortURL 

Last year, we, as the DFG Network Queer Contemporary Histories commented on the importance of the joint archive center from a scientific perspective, that statement can be found in the downloads below.

The move to a common location, while at the same time maintaining the independence of the three institutions, means the bundling of comprehensive, in part unique archive holdings. The archive center will increase the accessibility of the holdings and thus enable a broader group of users to engage with queer and feminist history and the present. The archives will thus be able to serve not only academic research, but also the education of democracy and the empowerment of marginalized groups. By pooling the different collections, the shared location will make it easier to implement intersectional approaches in research and address urgent research gaps, such as the entanglements of sexist, homophobic and transphobic violence as well as racist exclusions and transnational solidarities in the feminist and LGBTIQ movements.

As researchers in the field of queer history in German-speaking Europe, we have all worked with the three archives - without them, our research would not be possible. We are aware of their constantly precarious situation and the ever more pressing problem of space. Due to the fragility of the archive materials - including historical publications, some of which are over a hundred years old, leaflets, diaries and personal photographs, as well as audio and video files - it is of the utmost importance that the collections are stored properly at all times.

We therefore ask everyone who can to support the joint archive center with your donation (https://www.betterplace.org/de/projects/133914utm_campaign=ShortURLs&utm_medium=project_133914&utm_source=PlainShortURL ) and share the appeal with your networks!