Queer lifestyles in East Germany were already diverse in the past – and at the same time often invisible. How did queer people live and love in the GDR? How did they experience the upheaval of 1989/90 and the 1990s? What strategies did they develop to form relationships, friendships, and communities – in private, in subcultural spaces, or in political movements? The lecture provides insight into this little-known side of East German contemporary history. Using a variety of archival material, it shows how queer people in East Germany were confronted with discrimination and control, but also created spaces for exchange, self-realization, and political change. The lecture invites us to reflect together on visibility, the culture of remembrance, and the significance of queer perspectives for East German contemporary history.