LGBTQ+ museum ‘overwhelmed’ by support after being damaged by gunfire in ‘political’ attack
Berlin LGBTQ+ museum ‘overwhelmed’ by support after gun attack (Will Russell/Stringer via Getty Images)
An LGBTQ+ museum in Berlin has been “overwhelmed” by support after it come under gunfire last week.
Schwules Museum, in the German capital, was hit by a hail of bullets on 24 February, with two windows and the museum’s illuminated sign damaged in the attack.
The museum added that an artwork for an upcoming exhibit was also hit.
Police reportedly investigated the scene and collected evidence on the day of the attack, however no suspects have yet been named.
“We are overwhelmed by the fast and unambiguous response to the most recent attack on the Schwules Museum – so many of you voiced their solidarity and care with us. For this, we want to thank you,” the museum wrote on Instagram.
In a statement on its website, the museum wrote: “Two window panes, the illuminated sign with the museum’s name, and a work of art hanging in front of the entrance door were damaged.
“Six spots hit by shots were found on the front of the house. The window panes of the reception area were damaged in four places and the neon sign in one place. A piece of art above the front door was also hit by a gunshot. It is a black triangle made of felt, created for the current exhibition Queering the Crip, Cripping the Queer.
“There are currently no leads on the persons who committed the crime.”
Schwules Museum, founded in 1985, and situated in the trendy Tiergarten district, is one of the largest LGBTQ+ museums in the world, and has been the victim of several attacks in recent years.
The museum claimed that the gun attack mirrored similar incidents which damaged the building in 2020 – during which rocks were thrown at the building – and in 2016, in which firearms were also involved.
The museum said: “For now, we are as OK as one could be with such a not-OK situation.
“Attacks on LGBTQIA spaces of any kind have to be understood politically, which is why, moving forward, we have to process this incident as a political one.”
