SchwuZ

What SchwuZ does

SchwuZ (legally Schwulenzentrum Berlin (SchwuZ) e.V.) is a registered German non-profit association founded in 1977 in Berlin, focused on creating and sustaining independent community space for the LGBTQ+ population. The organization operates as a volunteer-driven Verein (e.V.) with five named representatives — Marcel Rohrlack, Katja Schmidt, Maximiliane Elspaß, Friederike Hellwig, and Tarek Stucki — and is registered at Amtsgericht Berlin-Charlottenburg under VR 15478 B, co-located with LSVD Berlin-Brandenburg at Feurigstraße 54, 10827 Berlin. Its core activities center on hosting cultural events, pride celebrations, and house parties, alongside operating membership and donation programs.

The organization's offering is fundamentally experiential rather than technological. There is no proprietary platform, software product, or SaaS; instead, SchwuZ delivers value through physical gathering, cultural programming, and community organizing. Revenue is generated from three streams: recurring membership fees processed via easyverein.com, transaction-based event ticket sales (including Canal Pride and SCHWUZ in der RENATE events), and voluntary donations accepted through goodcrowd.org. The association maintains a multi-channel digital presence (Instagram accounts @schwuz and @schwuz_ev, Facebook, TikTok, and email newsletter) for community engagement and event promotion.

As of 2026, SchwuZ is in a transitional phase, explicitly rebuilding its physical venue under the "We're building a new SCHWUZ" positioning, with fundraising and volunteer recruitment drives visible on its homepage. Forward event programming already shows sold-out status for summer 2026 events, indicating sustained demand despite the rebuild. The organization does not have external investors, parent companies, or disclosed financials, consistent with its non-profit member-governed structure. Its employee headcount is approximately 27, with the organization relying substantially on volunteer labor to deliver programming.

Name

SchwuZ

Legal name

Schwulenzentrum Berlin (SchwuZ) e.V.

Website

https://schwuz.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SchwuZ (Schwulenzentrum Berlin e.V.) is a Berlin-based non-profit association founded in 1977 that creates independent community, cultural, and event space for the LGBTQ+ community, funded through memberships, event tickets, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

LGBTQ+ Community Center & Cultural Events

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAFAE

LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Civil Rights, Advocacy & Public Policy Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAFAB

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Civil Rights, Advocacy & Public Policy Organizations

Keywords

• LGBTQ community center
• Community association
• Cultural event hosting
• Pride celebrations
• Membership nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The association recruits members through its website (easyverein.com platform), generating recurring revenue from annual or periodic membership contributions.
2. Event Revenue: Revenue generated from ticket sales for hosted events including pride celebrations and house parties. Events such as Canal Pride and SCHWUZ in der RENATE house party generate event-related income.
3. Donations and Financial Support: The association accepts financial contributions from supporters through platforms like goodcrowd.org, providing a donation-based revenue stream.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SchwuZ (Schwulenzentrum Berlin e.V.) is a registered non-profit community association founded in 1977 that creates and maintains a physical and social space for LGBTQ+ party, culture, and community in Berlin. It generates value by recruiting members, hosting ticketed events such as Canal Pride and house parties, and soliciting financial contributions from supporters to remain independent and volunteer-run.

Product overview

SchwuZ (Schwulenzentrum Berlin e.V.) is a community and cultural association based in Berlin, Germany, founded in 1977. The organization operates as a non-profit Verein (registered association) focused on creating spaces for party, culture, and community. The entity hosts events including pride celebrations and house parties, offers membership opportunities, and accepts voluntary financial support. SchwuZ does not offer a technology product, software platform, or SaaS offering — it is a community organization rather than a technology company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership
• Canal Pride (CSD auf der Spree)
• SCHWUZ in der RENATE (House Party)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LSVD Berlin-BrandenburgminorOthersSchwuZ e.V. is registered at the offices of LSVD Berlin-Brandenburg (Lesben- und Schwulenverband), indicating a hosting or co-location relationship with the German LGBTQ+ advocacy organization.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GMHC (Gay Men's Health Crisis): Large established U.S. LGBTQ+ services organization offering community programming. Overlapping mission in serving LGBTQ+ communities through programming and member support, but at much larger scale and with a health-services focus.
• Berghain: Iconic Berlin club known for LGBTQ+-adjacent programming and cultural relevance. Comparable as a Berlin cultural-events draw, but a commercial operator rather than a member-owned community association.

Regional players

• Centro Cultural e Recreativo LGBT de São Paulo: Brazilian LGBTQ+ community center providing cultural programming and gathering space. Comparable community-association model for LGBTQ+ populations, but operates in a different geography.

Direct peers

• Schwules Museum Berlin: Berlin's LGBTQ+ museum and cultural institution. Operates in the same city, serves overlapping community audiences, and shares the cultural-programming mission — a same-geography adjacent peer.
• Magnus-Hirschfeld-Centrum (Hamburg): Germany-based LGBTQ+ community center operating as a registered association in Hamburg. Closely comparable to SchwuZ as a DACH-region community-led Verein serving LGBTQ+ cultural and social programming.
• SF LGBT Center: San Francisco LGBTQ+ community center providing events, arts, culture, and community services. Comparable structure: nonprofit association, multi-stream programming, and member-driven community model.
• The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (NYC): Long-standing LGBTQ+ community center offering cultural programming, events, and member services. Directly comparable as a community-association model serving LGBTQ+ urban populations with mixed programming.
• Switchboard LGBT (UK): UK LGBTQ+ organization providing community support, advocacy and programming. Comparable as a registered-charity-style LGBTQ+ organization serving community through events and member engagement.

Others

• LSVD (Lesben- und Schwulenverband) Berlin-Brandenburg: Germany's leading LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, with whom SchwuZ shares a registered address. Comparable as a German LGBTQ+ nonprofit, but primarily an advocacy body rather than a community-events operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SCHWUZ
• Instagraminstagram.com/schwuz_ev
• TikToktiktok.com/@schwuz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schwuz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SchwuZ