Berlin Youth Culture Archive

The Archiv der Jugendkulturen e. V. (Berlin Youth Culture Archive) is a non-profit registered association based in Berlin-Kreuzberg, Germany, whose stated purpose is to collect, research and communicate knowledge about youth cultures and youth lifeworlds. It was founded in 1997 by figures including Klaus Farin, Gabriele Rohmann, Ansgar Klein and Eberhard Seidel, with founding members drawn mainly from youth scenes, media and academia. The organisation operates as a combined archive, library, research institute and provider of political and cultural education. Its library and archive holdings comprise a broad range of youth, pop and subcultural materials: magazines, books, textiles, posters, audio and video recordings, buttons and stickers. Among its most notable assets is what it describes as the largest publicly accessible fanzine collection in Europe. Collection focuses include scenes such as punk, techno, metal, football, skinhead and graffiti, as well as queer-feminist subcultural contexts, alongside mainstream pop materials and commercial youth magazines. It also holds special collections, including the former Kassel Graffiti Archive, the former Berlin Rock and Pop Archive, and part of the estate of former Planetcom managing director Ralf Regitz. The archive maintains a reference library and reading room in Berlin-Kreuzberg, and since 2016 has offered an OPAC online catalogue covering parts of the library and collection. Beyond archiving, the association is active in political education and research. It has been recognised as a free provider of child and youth welfare and, since 2010, as an accredited provider of political education. Its educational and exhibition projects address youth cultures and group-focused enmity, including current projects such as "Culture on the Road", the "Diversity Box" and the exhibition "Der z/weite Blick". Research activities include projects on the digital edition of (fan)zines and earlier work such as JuBri and UnBoxing. The archive has received several awards, including the prize of the Bündnis für Demokratie und Toleranz (2003), the Dieter-Baacke-Preis (2013) and recognition as a selected location in the "Deutschland – Land der Ideen" competition (2009). Financially, the library and collection receive no structural funding and are described as permanently under threat. A GoFundMe fundraising campaign launched in November 2019, "Mehr als nur die halbe Miete", highlighted a shortfall of 45,000 euros needed for 2020 rent. The archive continues to run public events, including its recurring "Zineklatsch" series; a 2026 edition is planned to present a 140-page source edition on GDR subcultures produced within the SPUR project. It also runs the Culture Camp, a five-day holiday workshop for young people aged 13 to 19, held in cooperation with the Humboldt Forum.

The Archiv der Jugendkulturen was founded in 1997 as a non-profit registered association (gemeinnütziger Verein) by Klaus Farin, Gabriele Rohmann, Ansgar Klein and Eberhard Seidel, among others. The founding members came mainly from youth scenes, media and academia. Its mission from the outset was to collect, research and communicate knowledge about youth cultures and youth lifeworlds, combining archival practice with research and educational work. Over the following decades the archive built up extensive holdings of youth, pop and subcultural materials, including magazines, books, textiles, posters, audio and video recordings, buttons and stickers. It assembled what it describes as the largest publicly accessible fanzine collection in Europe. Collection focuses include punk, techno, metal, football, skinhead and graffiti scenes, as well as queer-feminist subcultural contexts, alongside mainstream pop and commercial youth magazines. Special collections include the former Kassel Graffiti Archive, the former Berlin Rock and Pop Archive, and part of the estate of former Planetcom managing director Ralf Regitz. In the 2000s and 2010s the association expanded its educational and research activities. It became recognised as a free provider of child and youth welfare and, in 2010, as an accredited provider of political education. It ran numerous projects addressing youth cultures and group-focused enmity, including "Culture on the Road", "Diversity Box", "Der z/weite Blick", "New Faces", "Eigenregie", "City Skins", "Co-Design", "Zukunftsmusik Reloaded", "Migrantenjugendliche und Jugendkulturen" and "Rechte Szene auch im Osten out". Research projects included JuBri (Techniken jugendlicher Bricolage), UnBoxing (on digitising fanzines) and Y-KLRMPFNST verständlich gemacht! (a pilot project for the digital edition of fanzines). Two library and archive projects, "Berliner Pop- und Subkulturarchiv" (2014–2016) and "Sub- und Popkulturarchiv International" (2018–2021), contributed significantly to professionalising the archive, though they could not cover all needs. Since 2016 the archive has maintained an OPAC online catalogue listing parts of the library and collection. The archive operates a reference library and reading room in Berlin-Kreuzberg. Because the library and collection receive no structural funding, they are described as permanently under threat. In November 2019 the archive launched a GoFundMe campaign, "Mehr als nur die halbe Miete. Hilf dem Archiv der Jugendkulturen in Kreuzberg zu bleiben", highlighting a 45,000 euro shortfall for 2020 rent. The archive has received several awards: the prize of the Bündnis für Demokratie und Toleranz (2003), the prize of the Jugendforum im Abgeordnetenhaus (2007), recognition as a selected location in "Deutschland – Land der Ideen" (2009), the Kulturpreis der Kulturpolitischen Gesellschaft (2010), the Berliner Ratschlag für Demokratie "Respekt gewinnt!" (2012) and the Dieter-Baacke-Preis of the GMK (2013). In the 2020s the archive continued its public programming, including the recurring Zineklatsch series and the Culture Camp holiday workshop. A 2026 edition of Zineklatsch is planned to present a 140-page source edition on GDR subcultures compiled within the SPUR project, and the second Culture Camp is to be held at the Humboldt Forum.

• 2026

  Zineklatsch #27: SPUR special, presenting a 140-page source edition on GDR subcultures.

• 2019

  GoFundMe campaign launched to address a 45,000 euro shortfall for 2020 rent.

• 2018

  Start of the 'Sub- und Popkulturarchiv International' project (2018–2021).

• 2016

  OPAC online catalogue introduced, listing parts of the library and collection.

• 2014

  Start of the 'Berliner Pop- und Subkulturarchiv' project (2014–2016).

• 2013

  Awarded the Dieter-Baacke-Preis of the GMK.

• 2012

  Awarded the Berliner Ratschlag für Demokratie 'Respekt gewinnt!' prize.

• 2010

  Recognised as an accredited provider of political education.

• 2010

  Awarded the Kulturpreis der Kulturpolitischen Gesellschaft.

• 2009

  Recognised as a selected location in the 'Deutschland – Land der Ideen' competition.

• 2007

  Awarded the prize of the Jugendforum im Abgeordnetenhaus.

• 2003

  Awarded the prize of the Bündnis für Demokratie und Toleranz.

• 1997

  Founded as a non-profit registered association by Klaus Farin, Gabriele Rohmann, Ansgar Klein, Eberhard Seidel and others.

Non-profit archive, library and educational institution for youth, pop and subcultures, operating without structural funding and reliant on project grants and donations.

• Fanzine collection

  The largest publicly accessible fanzine collection in Europe, according to the archive.

• Reference library and reading room

  Located in Berlin-Kreuzberg, where library and archive materials can be viewed.

• OPAC online catalogue

  Online catalogue listing parts of the library and collection, available since 2016.

• Culture on the Road

  Youth-cultural educational work in the context of right-wing extremism, racism, antisemitism and sexism.

• Diversity Box

  Project on sexual and gender diversity.

• Der z/weite Blick

  Exhibition on youth cultures and discrimination.

1. 1Startseite - Archiv der Jugendkulturen e. V.jugendkulturen.de
2. 2Wikidata: Berlin Youth Culture Archivewikidata.org
3. 3Wikipedia (de): Archiv der Jugendkulturende.wikipedia.org