Facilitating a workshop investigating the intersection of neoclassical design, queer history, and urban resistance in Berlin, inviting participants to re-examine the aesthetic legacy of the Prussian empire through the lens of trans-activist and antiquarian Charlotte von Mahlsdorf.

Over two intensive sessions, the program explored how the "Gründerzeit" aesthetics—often dismissed as outdated or conservative—can be understood as anachronic queer practices of resistance. By contrasting these ornate styles with the anti-kitsch movements led by the Deutscher Werkbund in the early 20th century, the workshop traces a parallel history: the rise of Berlin as a global queer capital against the backdrop of rigid industrial design. The activity includes a guided visit to the Gründerzeitmuseum in Mahlsdorf, where participants engage directly with Von Mahlsdorf’s preserved interiors and "Mulackritze" bar. Through collective discussion and site-specific analysis, the workshop challenged participants to rethink how “historicist” aesthetics are used by different political spectrums as a political tool for reclaiming space and identity within the contemporary city.