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Memorial stone for Ulm's gay cult club Aquarium ceremoniously inaugurated
On November 9, 2025, a memorial stone for the “Aquarium” nightclub was inaugurated in Ulm, honoring queer history.
Memorial stone for Ulm's gay cult club Aquarium ceremoniously inaugurated
On November 9, 2025, a very special memorial stone for the legendary “Aquarium” nightclub was inaugurated in Ulm. Despite the pouring rain, numerous guests gathered to remember the club's important role in the city's queer scene. The older gentleman also appears to be a welcome change, as the aquarium was an important meeting place for the queer community in Ulm from 1966 to 1999 under the direction of Manfred Zauter and Garry Lottermoser. Both men were considered the first gay couple to appear publicly in Ulm and made a significant contribution to promoting an open and tolerant society. The memorial stone, which measures 60x60 cm and is modeled on the “Walk of Fame” in Hollywood, is intended to memorialize the history of the aquarium and the numerous celebrities who visited the club. These included greats like Nina Hagen, Udo Jürgens and even Freddie Mercury, who celebrated his 39th birthday there in 1985, which underlines the special status of the aquarium, as [SWR] reports.
Sunday was entirely dedicated to the cult club, with a documentary film in the Mephisto cinema and the play “Aquarium ’85”. These events offered a look back at the club's glory days while creating space for memories of those who are no longer with us. Eva-Maria Glathe-Braun gave a moving speech in which she remembered Rafael Blumenstock, who tragically died 35 years ago. His murder remains unsolved to this day and casts a shadow over the otherwise colorful memories of the aquarium. The death is seen as homophobically motivated and is a reminder that the acceptance and safety of queer people is still not a given, as [n-ag.de] has found.
Importance for the queer community
Ariane Müller, who launched the initiative to relocate the memorial stone, emphasized the need to create safe spaces for queer people. She emphasized that places of remembrance like the aquarium set an example for tolerance and openness in society and are essential for education and community cohesion. To underline this, two glasses of champagne were symbolically placed on the memorial stone - a small, celebratory act to toast the past and remember all those who have become part of the aquarium's extraordinary heritage.
The inauguration of the memorial stone not only represents a look back, but is also progress in the acute examination of queer history in Ulm. The fact that a stone is being placed in such a place, full of stories and memories, shows how important the acceptance of diversity is in our society. Memories must be nurtured so that future generations can learn from them. The aquarium has always promoted this in its heyday, and with this memorial stone it has now returned a bit, as [SWR] and [n-ag.de] continue to report.