The Löwenherz bookstore was opened in 1993. Back then, by the way, together with Café Berg in a joint company - you can imagine that this meant a huge effort. The idea and the energy to set up a lesbian and gay bookstore together with a daytime café came from Leo Kellermann, who then ran Löwenherz & Berg until 2002 and established it as a Viennese institution.
The Löwenherz bookstore started with around 3,500 titles at the end of June 1993. Jürgen Ostler and Andreas Brunner selected the books and were Vienna's first gay booksellers. At that time there were still some gaps in the shelves. Today, with well over 12,000 titles in stock, the range is literally overflowing: much to the benefit and delight of the many customers from home and abroad.
The program has always not been limited to gay literature. We have always taken the idea of a gay bookstore broadly and expanded it over time. Löwenherz always saw itself as a bookstore in which lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people should feel at home with their interests and wishes. And especially when it comes to the lesbian range (in the beginning it was just one meter of shelves), we have expanded this over the years to such an extent that today we can speak of parity between the gay and lesbian range.
From the beginning, Löwenherz has supported store sales with a quarterly catalog that presents the latest new releases on the gay and lesbian book market. We import everything a lesbian or gay heart desires from all over German-speaking countries, from the USA, Great Britain or France - no matter whether it is relevant or not, no matter whether it is a book, DVD, CD or magazine. We are happy to research titles on topics you are interested in (doesn't have to be relevant) and also source antiquarian titles. We are also happy to help you through coming out with literature or explain to Vienna tourists where they can find one or two exciting locations in Vienna. We have all relevant Austrian free magazines available. In collaboration with the Berggasse cultural association, we organize readings, book presentations and the like in the bookstore or other locations. Our most famous visitors include Ralf König, Lilo Wanders, Hermes Phettberg, Karin Rick, Knut Koch, Johan Paulik, Sebastian Bonnet, Johnny Hazzard, Carlo Masi, Georgette Dee, Irmgard Knef, Malediva, the Pfister siblings, Matthias Frings, Detlev Meyer, Mario Wirz, Stephan Niederwieser, Ines Rieder, Corinna Waffender, Wolfram Setz, Regina Nössler, Jan Stressenreuter, PP Hartnett, Lev Raphael, Jim Grimsley, Peter Kern, Matthias Herrmann, Allen Ginsberg, Charlotte von Mahlsdorf and many others
In addition to books, international magazines and a wide range of accessories such as stickers, pins and rainbow flags, the store in Berggasse is now also filled with CDs and a significantly expanded DVD program.
You can find much of it on this website. In addition to the lesbian and gay titles in the “Löwenherz range”, over 2.5 million titles in the “general range” are also available on the website. Even though we are one of the best-stocked gay and lesbian bookstores with over 12,000 titles in stock, we obviously cannot have 2.5 million titles in stock - but most of the German-language books and DVDs that we also purchase are in our store within a day . Such additional orders, beyond our store range, are very important to us. That's why we would like to thank you for your loyalty and will credit all sales to your customer account. Many of you already know and use the advantages of our regular customer policy - just talk to us about it!
In the 16 years since Löwenherz was founded, a lot has happened in lesbian-gay Austria. Since then, “Wien ist Andersrum”, the Life Ball, the Rainbow Ball and the queer film festival “Identities” have also taken place for the first time. In 1996, the first rainbow parade marched along Vienna's Ringstrasse and has since become an integral part of the city's liturgical calendar (Hermes Phettberg). The Lionhearts took part out of conviction in all the rainbow parades that have taken place since 1996 (the first one was organized on the premises of the bookstore). Tolerable paragraphs were passed (albeit after tough battles), and Vienna is now characterized by a fundamentally liberal climate in which lesbians, gays and transgender people can lead their lives relatively freely. Löwenherz and his Lionhearts have always seen themselves as part of the community.
Time has also left its mark on the Löwenherz bookstore. Over time, several booksellers have each put their own unique stamp on the product ranges that are close to their hearts, thereby contributing to the diverse impression of the bookstore, which does not have to shy away from international comparison. Since October 2002, the bookstore has been financially independent as the property of booksellers Veit Schmidt and Jürgen Ostler.
And above all, the Löwenherz bookstore is not a finished project. We look forward to reading experiences, ideas and conversations with everyone who comes to us - because a lesbian and gay bookstore like Löwenherz is still a place for surprises and discoveries.
