CSD Dessau-Roßlau

Courage for Visibility

Saxony-Anhalt is not the easiest federal state for queer life. That is precisely why the Christopher Street Day in Dessau-Roßlau has special significance. Since 2021, the CSD has been held in the city center in spring — deliberately as the season opener for the East German Pride season, which moves on to Schönebeck, Wittenberg, Köthen, and other medium-sized cities in the state in the following weeks. The 6th edition in 2026 will take place on May 2nd.

Demonstration and Market Square

Classic in structure: A demonstration starts at Dessau Main Station and moves through the city center with rainbow flags, music, and chants — the route ends on the Market Square, where the stage program begins. Speeches by local politicians, contributions from the community, a panel discussion on current queer-political topics, as well as performances by regional and invited artists. In previous years, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence also participated.

Around 700 Participants — and More

With around 700 participants, CSD Dessau is not a mass event like in Berlin or Cologne. But that is precisely what makes it so valuable: In a rather conservative region of the state of Saxony-Anhalt, every person who participates is a political statement. The CSD sees itself as a networking platform for local queer clubs and initiatives, as a visibility day, and as a bridge builder between the queer politically active Berlin/Leipzig and the more provincial center of the country.

Bauhaus City and Queer History

Dessau is not only the Bauhaus city but also a place with its own queer history: The radical architecture of the Bauhaus was an emancipatory movement, and several Bauhaus teachers and students lived queer lives. This tradition plays a subtle role in the CSD. The CSD takes place in the district of Dessau-Roßlau (independent city) and is the only Pride event in the Anhalt-Dessau-Wittenberg World Heritage region.