The story so far

Other Nature was launched in 2011 and has been collectively run since 2021. Here, we take a little look at our theirstory...

Other Nature opened its doors in 2011, the brainchild of co-founder Sara Rodenhizer, who ran the store for a decade. This alternative sex shop followed in the long tradition of feminist sex shops in the US, Canada and Germany. With its own blend of queer-feminist, sex-positive values and vegan, eco-friendly products, Other Nature became a trailblazer in Europe.

Since the start, nineteen dedicated individuals have been on the staff team (along with two canine friends). We’ve welcomed tens of thousands of people to our home in Kreuzberg, Berlin, having countless meaningful conversations each day about sexuality, pleasure, gender, and so much more. In 2021, Sara left Other Nature in the capable hands of her team, who transformed the shop into a collectively-run workers’ cooperative, unlocking Other Nature’s next level of queer-feminist sex shop potential!

We’ve taught and hosted hundreds of workshops for thousands of participants, and dozens of queer, trans, and feminist artists have exhibited their work in our space. Concerts, storytellings, book launches and film nights have all taken place within our four dildo-adorned walls.
When the pandemic forced us to temporarily close our doors, we poured all our energy into ensuring that we met the needs of our customers online. We’re so grateful that, as a small business, we survived this challenging period and continued to thrive (it turns out that lockdown is a great time to buy a sex toy).
When we can, we get out and about - from sweaty queer dance parties to vegan lifestyle markets. We’ve sung about butt plugs on stage at the Berlin Music Video awards, presented vibrators at the city’s Museum of Things, and even had our vegan floggers mentioned in the Bundestag.
Whether sharing our perspective with the media or handing out freebies at the annual FLINTA* Pride in Kreuzberg, we’re proud to take sex-positive conversation and queer-feminist sex education into the open and onto the streets. In 2018 we launched our alternative toy parties, bringing sex-toy know-how and destigmatizing real talk right into people’s homes.
From baking free cupcakes for customers back in the day to donating dildos to feminist fundraisers, we strive to support our community in Berlin and beyond. Starting our Community Talks in 2020 allowed us to connect with and share the insights of awesome organizers, educators and sex workers around the world, and with our new-in-2022 Gender X Fund we’re making gender affirmation gear accessible to low-income and marginalised trans: folks.

Stop by next time you’re in Kreuzberg, or connect with us online.

Ours is an ongoing story and we’d love you to be a part of it.