CSD Köln and Cologne Pride | History

As homosexuals in New York's Christopher Street revolted for the first time against government forces and police terror on 28th June 1969, nobody was able to foresee that from this the birth of a new emancipation and civil rights movement and a worldwide political mass movement would come into being.

Already in the early 1970's in Germany, street processions were organised as a remembrance to this event, and since the end of the 70's also with the name CSD (= Christopher Street Day). In the 80's, the first gay-lesbian manifestations under the name "Gay Freedom Day" were founded, rotating in the different cities of North Rhine Westphalia. As Cologne again competed for justification, the idea matured in the community to cater for an annual "Cologne Day for Gays and Lesbians (KLuST e.V.)" after the model of Berlin.

From this, it very quickly developed into the CSD that we all know of today. While in 1991, only a few hundred participants demonstrated against social discrimination and for acceptance of their way of life and only a few thousand visitors lined the street sides, the CSD grew to a large event within a few years. Already in the mid 1990's Christopher Street Day counted as the third biggest event in the Rhine metropolis after Karneval and the Ringfest and established itself as on of the biggest events of its kind in Europe, to which people from the whole of Germany, and from European countries and the rest of the world congregated.

As a consequence of this, 2002 marked a further important point. It was in this year that Europride, i.e., the entire European CSD, was to be found for the first time in Cologne. This event did not only gleam through its high political presence and visitor numbers (which alone would give Karneval a run for its money) but also offered in parallel a large supporting program made up of political discussion, cultural programs as well as parties and numerous other events.

The strength and energy of the Cologne scene, which was revealed at Europride in 2002, caused the event organisers to take one step further and establish a "blanketing term" and expand the traditional CSD to the facet of Cologne Pride. Thus, Cologne Pride is today the large supporting program (over 100 events in 2004) that spreads over a period of two weeks and reaches its peak on the final CSD-Weekend. For years, this weekend has been supported by three basic columns: the solemn Benefit Gala of the AIDS-Hilfe Cologne in the Maritim Hotel, the three day street festival in the heart of the Cologne Old Town and the closing parade through the inner city of Cologne. Alongside this, expressions for the zest for life and the pride of the participants and visitors, and particularly the political message - which is expressed in the motto, are all important. Each year a different pressing theme is reflected in the motto for the further improvement of the living conditions of lesbians, gays, bi- and transsexuals in our community.