This international archive grew out of Estação Zoo, a Brazilian independent project dedicated to Christiane F. and Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo, originally launched in 2012. Over the years, the project has collected and documented interviews, photographs, press articles, videos, historical material and information about Christiane F., the people around her and the world portrayed in Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo.
The Christiane F. Archive is the international continuation and expansion of that work, created to make this research accessible to a wider audience and to bring together material that remains scattered across different countries, languages, publications and archives.
The archive follows Christiane's story from her childhood in Gropiusstadt and teenage years in West Berlin through the events documented in Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo, as well as her life after the book became an international phenomenon.
It also explores the people, places and cultural history surrounding her story — including Bahnhof Zoo, the Sound nightclub, Babsi, Detlef, Stella, Axel, Atze, David Bowie, the West Berlin drug scene, the 1981 film and the historical context in which Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo was created.
Our goal is to build one of the most comprehensive independent online resources about Christiane F. and Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo.
What you will find here
The Christiane F. Archive collects, organizes and contextualizes material related to Christiane Felscherinow, Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo and the world surrounding her story.The archive includes interviews, photographs, magazine and newspaper articles, television appearances, videos, audio recordings, books, films, music, historical documents, locations, biographies and archival material.
Whenever possible, information is organized by subject and date, allowing readers to explore Christiane's story as both a biography and a piece of cultural history.
Special attention is given to original and historical material related to Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo: the people whose lives appear in the book, the real locations described in it, contemporary newspaper and magazine coverage, the journalists behind the original interviews and the many adaptations and publications that followed.
Older material may also be translated, summarized or placed into historical context to make sources originally published in German, Portuguese and other languages accessible to an international audience.
Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo
First published in Germany in 1978, Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo grew out of extensive interviews with Christiane F. conducted by journalists Kai Hermann and Horst Rieck.The book documented Christiane's childhood, her introduction to West Berlin's youth and drug scenes, her heroin addiction and the lives of other young people around her, including Detlef, Babsi and Stella.
It became an international bestseller and inspired the 1981 film Christiane F. – Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo, directed by Uli Edel and starring Natja Brunckhorst. The story has continued to attract new generations of readers and viewers decades after its original publication.
For many people, Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo is where the story begins. This archive aims to go further: identifying the real people, places, photographs, interviews, documents and historical events behind the book and following Christiane's life beyond the period it describes.
Beyond Bahnhof Zoo
Christiane Felscherinow's story did not end with Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo.She has remained a subject of public interest for decades, appearing in interviews, documentaries, television programs, books and other media long after the events that made her famous.
Her story also intersects with a much broader cultural history: 1970s West Berlin, Gropiusstadt, Bahnhof Zoo, the Sound nightclub, David Bowie, youth culture, music, fashion, cinema, journalism and changing attitudes toward addiction.
The Christiane F. Archive therefore documents both the world of Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo and what happened afterward.
An independent archive
The Christiane F. Archive is an independent, unofficial project.It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or officially connected to Christiane Felscherinow, her representatives, the authors or publishers of Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo, film or television producers, broadcasters, or any other person or organization mentioned on this website.
The purpose of this project is historical documentation, research, preservation and cultural commentary.
Archival photographs, excerpts, screenshots and other third-party materials may appear when relevant to documenting or discussing the subjects covered by the archive. Copyright remains with the respective authors, photographers, publishers, broadcasters and rights holders.
Whenever possible, original sources and authorship are identified.
About drug-related content
Any serious archive about Christiane F. and Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo necessarily involves discussions of drug addiction, overdose, prostitution, sexual exploitation and death.These subjects are documented because they are essential to understanding Christiane's story and the historical environment surrounding the book.
Their inclusion should never be interpreted as encouragement or glorification of drug use or other harmful behavior.
Don't use drugs. This website documents their consequences — it does not glorify them.
Corrections and contributions
Historical research is always a work in progress.If you have identified an error, know the original source of an archival photograph or document, or have information that could help improve the archive, you are welcome to get in touch.
The same applies to copyright holders who would like material to be properly credited, updated or reviewed.
The Christiane F. Archive
An independent digital archive documenting Christiane Felscherinow, Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo and the cultural history surrounding her story.
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