Know your queer history! Hannah has become a volunteer at the Gay Museum to explore the queer community. In the process, she comes across a special find: the Flying Lesbians album. As Queer History Month’s darling of the month, Hannah joins us on a search for cultural heritage and talks about intergenerational exchange, breaking down barriers and long nights at the museum…
Hi Hannah! As always, I’ll start with very simple questions: Who are you, what do you do, what keeps you busy?
Hey, I’m Hannah, 22 years old, and when I’m not at SMU I study communication design at HTW Berlin. During my studies, I focused on accessibility, but I haven’t decided on a specific area of application yet.
Which ones are there?
Quite a few! I find accessibility in public spaces particularly exciting, for example wayfinding, the design of daily routines and of course in a museum context: exhibition design.
That’s cool! Have you been following the accessibility project at the Schwules Museum in recent years?
I started at SMU when the Queering the Crip – Cripping the Queer exhibition was running. I saw people testing the tactile guidance system, which I found exciting. I also chat to Collin, the exhibition manager here at the venue, about updates from time to time.
Does that mean the QTCCTQ exhibition brought you to the museum?
Only halfway, I was here for the first time 5 years ago, as a little trip after my A-levels. I went to see From Riot to Respectability and Karol Radziszewski: Queer Archives Institute. After that, I decided relatively quickly to move from my small hometown in Bavaria to Berlin – and that’s what I did for my degree. The second time I went to the Queering the Crip exhibition was two years ago; it was more of a coincidence that the themes coincided so well. Later, I realized that I wanted to do voluntary work in the queer field, and during my online research, the SMU was again just a few clicks away.
How nice that you found a connection at the Gay Museum.
Yes, definitely, I think the Schwules Museum is a great starting point for networking within the queer community in Berlin.
What do you do in your voluntary work at the SMU?
Everything that happens in the museum, from supervision to cash desk and bar duties. Even though I like the changing tasks, I prefer to be in the café. I think it’s nice to be able to make people happy. Imagine you want nothing more than a hot cocoa, and then I give you a hot cocoa.
And a cookie to go with it!
Exactly, it really is the little things. I can chat to people a lot in the café, I can always see what’s going on at the front, who’s coming in and out…
Does that mean you’re always in a talkative mood when you work here?
Actually, I usually leave my bad mood behind me when I walk through the museum doors. It just works because I’m a volunteer, I don’t have to be here!
Tell us about a great memory at SMU!
The Long Night of Museums last year was extremely impressive. I knew that there was a lot of interest in the museum and that people organize a lot here, but that night the museum was full of color and the program was very well organized.
The Long Night of Museums will be back soon, will you be visiting again?
Unfortunately not, I will be in Japan with a friend. We’ll be in Tokyo for four weeks and then spend another two weeks traveling through smaller cities. I’ll be back next year!
That’s a good reason not to be there. You have to show me what you’ve got afterwards! But now, what darling have you brought us today?
An album by the Flying Lesbians! They were a German band from the 70s that emerged from a women’s festival. When another band canceled at short notice, they just formed and became a replacement. Although they got such a great response and were active for a good four years, there is only this one album from them.
How did you get your sweetheart?
One thing I find so interesting about SMU is the generational exchange. I think it’s great that people from different age groups come into contact with each other. When I found this CD by chance in the cupboard of the museum store, I was really excited. A colleague and I wanted to put it straight into the CD player because I had never heard of a lesbian women’s rock group before. Two older colleagues who were active in the scene in the 70s heard it and said to us: “Listen to this when we’re not around…” They associated so many memories with the music that probably shouldn’t come up at that moment. I found it exciting how different the relationship to this audio was.
What do you like about your darling? Can you describe it in three words?
Lesbian, iconic and loud! I love that the album is explicitly lesbian! Here at SMU things were, and sometimes still are, gay. I also love that it’s such an old object – 50 years! It’s a great testimony to the times.
Is there anything you would change about your darling if you could?
I wish it was on Spotify! The album is on YouTube, but not on Spotify. The whole project was indie self-made.
Who would you give it to if you could?
Firstly, the online community, with an upload (laughs) But then also my mom, who is very feminist. She would certainly find that interesting!
We would certainly be happy about an MP3!
(Interview & image: mino Künze)