Thanks for visiting us online!
We are Berlin's oldest gay bar, open to all tolerant customers.
The ‘Schoppe’ is a classic bar with a ‘Berlin pub’ atmosphere – it’s smoker-friendly, and is situated in the middle of the stylish gay district of Prenzlauer Berg.
Our generous premises provide a space for young and old. What’s more, our cellar bar opens for dance music at the weekend.
Take a look at our special offers as well, and get an idea of the place yourself. Either here on our homepage, or, even better, why not pay us a personal visit the next time you’re in Berlin?
The ‘Schoppe’ is situated in the Prenzlauer Berg district on Schönhauser Allee, on the junction of Danziger Strasse, Pappelalle and Kastanienallee, which makes it easy to get here.
You can find our exact whereabouts here, as well as information on how you can get here with public transport.
The Schoppenstube team looks forward to seeing you!
And if you do happen to visit the Schoppenstube, we’d be very pleased if you wrote something in our guest-book afterwards.
HISTORY
The ‘Schoppenstube’ has been in existence ever since 1923, when it was a wine tavern. Mind you, in those days there was no cellar bar and no dance floor. A large masonry heater, that was already there when the tavern opened, was used to keep the tavern warm and cosy (and was in use up until 1994!!!), whilst the ladies and gentlemen of the Golden Twenties enjoyed a nice large glass (‘Schoppen’) of wine. It is assumed that a vast variety of wines was stored in bottles and casks in the room which is now the cellar bar.
As from 1963, only gay clientele got together in the ‘Schoppenstube’, but always very decently! Because whenever two men touched each other on the thigh, straight away there came the cry: ‘We don't do that kind of thing here!’ The only day when things were more tolerant was Christmas Eve. Men could hug each other, give each other a kiss and dance together.
The ‘Schoppenstube’ became the late night bar of the East Berlin gay scene. In the beginning it was open until 4 a.m. and was affectionately referred to as ‘House 1’.
The first customers didn't leave until ‘Konnopke’ opened, the currywurst stand opposite the pub. And this was at 5 a.m.! It was quickly decided that the opening times of the ‘Schoppenstube’ should take their cue from ‘Konnopke’ - from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m.
The bar was bursting at the seams and more room was called for. The back room was rebuilt in 1979 as the ‘Small Bar’. But the ‘Schoppenstube’ was still jam-packed! In 1982 a further bar was opened, in the cellar (!), the ‘cellar bar’ of today. It consisted of a small U-shaped bar with back bar, with 10 bar stools placed around it.
In the late 80s the ‘Schoppenstube’ was also used, along with another gay bar, ‘Burgfrieden’, as the film-set for the GDR film ‘Coming Out’, directed by Heiner Carow. This film made its premiere on the 9th November 1989, the exact same day the Berlin Wall came down, and in 1990 it was awarded a ‘Silberner Bär’ (‘Silver Bear’) - an award from the Berlin International Film Festival. Not just for the way it sensitively handled the issues of being gay and ‘coming out’, but also because of the deep respect it showed for tolerance, human rights and, above all, for humanity.
When Wolfhard (the current landlord) took over the ‘Schoppenstube’ in 1994, the first thing he did was refurbish the bar. A new lick of paint and some interior decoration helped to make it more appealing. The ‘Small Bar’ became a billiards room und the small dance floor in the front room could be relocated in the cellar, as this had been extended. The cellar bar now had its own disco and the ‘Schoppenstube’ customers became, ‘just for fun’, self-proclaimed DJs.
In 1999 the time had come - the ‘Schoppenstube’ entered the computer age and went online.
Just as they have done before, many different generations come into contact with each other here today. The clientele, from twenty-something to ‘Daddy Cool’, from newcomer to regular, students and business people, restaurant owners and actors, appreciate the bar’s atmosphere and unique ambience. Throughout the years, visitors to this late night bar have been brought together in a wonderful, affectionate way. Yes, you can see the whole history of the ‘Schoppenstube’ in the ‘Schoppenstube’. Starting with the masonry heater from the 50s and the old ‘Bacchus frieze’ from the 70s, past the bar counter itself and the bar room from the GDR times, through to the new cellar bar with disco.
On the 17th May 2008 the ‘Schoppenstube’ celebrated its 45th Birthday. Indeed...
the oldest gay bar in Berlin - but still
YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL!
Also: Since 2005 our customers have been making regularly donations for an orphanage in Sri Lanka. The landlord and his partner take the money there personally once a year, where it is used for projects such as renovating the drinking water well or organising a party for the children.
Should you have any further questions or need more information, feel free to get in touch with us.
You can find also find us listed as a club in Gayromeo at:
www.gayromeo.com/Schoppenstube
