The Victory Column

 

Berlin’s Victory Column, once erected as a national monument to 19th-century military victories, has taken on a completely different meaning today. Now more of a symbol of diversity and self-determination, it even lent its name to a queer city magazine in 1984. The area around the Victory Column becomes the stage each year for massive demonstrations such as Christopher Street Day, when thousands of people take to the streets to demand the freedom to love whomever they choose. The Love Parade, which took place here between 1996 and 2006, also showcased the Victory Column as the focal point of peaceful political and cultural mass gatherings. Techno, dance, and politics merged into an expression of urban freedom. Thus, the tradition of protest and the celebration of diversity and self-determination converge around Straße des 17. Juni. Berlin is a place where, for many years, people have been able to visibly stand up for their rights, their ways of life, and their freedom—and where social change can be experienced right in the middle of the street.

1 - AUDRE LORDE (1934–1992), writer and activist, lived in Berlin for a time. She worked within the Afro-diasporic community and advocated for feminism and LGBTQ+ rights. Her work made Berlin an important hub for international networking.

2 - HEDWIG DOHM (1831–1919) was one of the most important feminist writers of the 19th century. She fought for women’s suffrage, education, and equality. Her work is still considered groundbreaking for the women’s rights movement in Germany.

3 - RUDOLF VIRCHOW (1821–1902) was a physician, scientist, and politician in Berlin and the founder of modern pathology. He advocated for public healthcare and hygiene. Among other things, he promoted social reforms in the Berlin City Council, thereby making Berlin a center of medical innovation.

4 - ROSA VON PRAUNHEIM (1942–2025) was a Berlin-based filmmaker and activist who shaped queer visibility in Germany. With films such as “It is not the homosexual who is perverse, but the situation in which he lives,” he sparked political debates. Berlin was the hub of his artistic and political work.

5 - The writer and actress ANNA ELISABET WEIRAUCH (1887–1970) became known for her novel trilogy *Der Skorpion* (1919–1931). The books were among the first works in German-language literature to deal with the theme of lesbian love. Weirauch wrote over 60 novels, which were also published in the United States.

6 - MAGNUS HIRSCHFELD (1868–1935) was a Berlin physician and scientist who advocated for queer people. He was a co-founder of the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee and fought against the criminalization of homosexuals. His Institute for Sexual Science was destroyed in 1933. To this day, he is regarded as a pioneer of sex education in Germany.

7 - Straße des 17. Juni, which connects the Victory Column and the Brandenburg Gate, commemorates the violently suppressed WORKERS’ UPRISING in the GDR in 1953. Shortly after the uprisings, the West Berlin Senate decided to rename the street to honor the victims.

8 - ROSA LUXEMBURG (1871–1919) lived in Berlin and was a co-founder of the KPD. She advocated for social justice and workers’ rights and organized demonstrations and lectures. She was murdered in Berlin. To this day, she is regarded as a symbol of resistance and political participation.

Did you know …
… that the Roman goddess of victory, Victoria, also known as “Goldelse,” is over eight meters tall? The winged golden figure stands atop the Victory Column, which, together with the statue, soars 220 ft up to the sky.