On the Fringes of Memory: Tracing Queer History and Recurring Patterns Towards Queer-inclusive Resilience in German Libraries

Queer history is rarely common knowledge or part of collective memory. This article argues that engaging with queer history can strengthen societal and individual ability to recognise persisting and recurring patterns of queerphobia, as well as their implications and disruptive potential for democracies in the present day. Focusing on transnational patterns highlights the link between the rise of anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiments, anti-gender movements, and attacks on democratic institutions and democracy in general. Transhistorical patterns reveal how current strategies employed by far-right, right-wing, and conservative groups echo tactics from the past. Libraries, along with other democratic institutions, must recognise that attacks on queer lives and diversity are attacks on democracy itself, and must respond accordingly. This article explores how German libraries can engage with queer (German) history to highlight such patterns, inform practice and policy, and foster democratic and queer-inclusive resilience. After all, history is not merely a matter of memory, but also a foundation for current action.