August 3, 2025 | 07:26 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Schwuz, a long-time queer club and cornerstone of Germany's LGBTQ+ nightlife, has filed for insolvency after nearly 50 years of operation. Despite facing growing financial trouble, the Berlin-based club plans to continue operating for now.
According to a management announcement on Instagram on late Friday, August 1, 2025, Schwuz will remain in operation at least until October 2025. The official insolvency process is estimated to commence in two months. As reported by The Berliner, permanent staff contracts remain intact, and wages will continue to be paid until October.
Financial troubles are not new for the gay club. The crisis began in early 2024, and restructuring efforts, including mass layoffs, reduced operating hours, and fundraising campaigns to modernize infrastructure, were not sufficient. According to the club, until May of this year, Schwuz consistently faced a monthly deficit of €30,000 to €60,000.
Schwuz terminated 33 employees in May 2025. Some of these employees had worked at the club for years, causing an uproar in the community. The club justified its decision, stating that their options are limited—it's either terminating their employees or closing down entirely. So far, their fundraising campaign has raised over €3,000 out of the €150,000 target.
An external insolvency advisor has been engaged to help develop a recovery plan. “This is not about giving up, but about starting over,” said the management of Schwuz.
Established in 1977, Schwuz was initially an abbreviation of "Schwulzen-Zentrum." The club soon became a hub for the queer community in Berlin. Schwuz played a key role in the early parades supporting the LGBTQ+ community and established the queer magazine, Siegessäule. In 2013, Schwuz moved from Kreuzberg to Neukölln, relocating to a venue that could accommodate over 1,000 people.
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