This chapter examines the author’s dual role as historian and board member responsible for the archive collections at Berlin’s Schwules Museum, focusing on its extensive collection of LGBTIQ* periodicals in German from the 1869 coining of ‘homosexuality’ to the present. The chapter explores the complexities of working with such print media, reflecting on the labour of collecting and archiving these historical sources. The author questions the debates, exclusions, and desires that emerge from these media, contemplating how archives may replicate the silences within their collections and seeking ways to address these gaps. The chapter highlights the emotional and labour-intensive relationships between archivists, users, and the materials, illustrating moments such as gifting surplus periodicals to volunteers or exhibitions, carefully assembling photocopies of rare periodicals for researchers, and grappling with archival practices that balance the collection’s inherent silences and biases. Additionally, the author discusses the political dynamics within the Museum, focusing on the archive’s role, its importance relative to other museum functions, and its intended audience. By addressing these layered interactions and challenges, the author emphasizes the complex labour and ethical considerations of preserving and managing a queer historical archive.