Hempels is the pub-cafe on the ground floor of Oldenburg's queer centre, in the Ziegelhof quarter north of the old town. It is the part of the house anyone can simply walk into.
The room holds a little over thirty seats, a counter and a sofa corner. Beers, wines, juices, soft drinks and hot drinks are served alongside sweets, and the bar deliberately undercuts what the rest of the city charges. Current magazines with queer content lie around the counter, and there is a small lending library.
Everyone behind the bar is a volunteer, with the shifts organised between the two associations that run the house. Some evenings are open to all comers, others are for women and lesbians only.
The same room doubles as a venue for readings, talks, exhibitions, Sunday cafes and the occasional party, so what is on varies a good deal from one night to the next.
