Talk with Usah Zachau, co-initiator of the first Berlin cemetery for lesbian women
Last year I joined the annual celebration at the Berlin lesbian cemetery. Standing there under the heavy April rain, I talked to Usah Zachau and other community members about the whole idea of why women* might need their own burial site and what makes this Berlin cemetery so special.
The LesFriedA areal was opened 10 years ago within the Georgen-Parochial-Friedhof I in Prenzlauer Berg close to Alexanderplatz. The initiative was brought to life by Safia, a volunteer group for lesbian women (primarily aged over 60), and eventually, the SAPPhO Women's Housing Foundation overtook its sponsorship.
It was my first cemetery celebration — with coffee, sandwiches, live music, singing, and even networking amidst the graves. I had the pleasure of meeting wonderful Ukranian queer activists from KwitneQueer, Loki von Dorn, and Berlin-based producer and artist Mahide Lein. And it was the first time in my life when somebody showed me their future grave!
Check out the berlin bones Instagram for updates on our offline walks & talks!