In Holot Remembrance Day, we look back at the untold stori of the brave gay men who died Achwz.
Contents:
- REMEMBERG THE FOTTEN GAY STORI OF ACHWZ
- THE PK TRIANGLE: FROM NAZI LABEL TO SYMBOL OF GAY PRI
- THE BARELY REMEMBERED GAY VICTIMS OF THE NAZI CONCENTRATN CAMPS
- GAY MEN UNR THE NAZI REGIME
- SERI: GAY MEN AND LBIANS UNR THE NAZI REGIME
- GAY PEOPLE
REMEMBERG THE FOTTEN GAY STORI OF ACHWZ
Tens of thoands of gay men and lbians were persecuted by the Nazis but stigma and a lack of rearch fundg has kept their history hidn. * how many gay people died in the holocaust *
The groups clud Pol, Soviets, Roma, polil prisoners, disabled people, crimals, Jehovah’s Wns and those seen as homosexuals. As wh the other groups, gay men (and to some extent lbians) were perceived as posg a threat to the “German people”.
THE PK TRIANGLE: FROM NAZI LABEL TO SYMBOL OF GAY PRI
* how many gay people died in the holocaust *
Due to limed rearch fundg, the high ath rate of gay men the mps, and the stigma attached to homosexualy, the victims are often fotten by the world.
This clud more than 100 gay and lbian bars and f, songs and films, and Magn Hirschfeld’s Instut für Sexualwissenschaft (the Instute for Sexual Science), which ntaed thoands of books and journals on sexualy and genr. Dpe Paragraph 175, which crimalised male homosexualy the German crimal , LGBTQ+ people tend to be observed and monored rather than persecuted.
Paragraph 175 began to be strictly enforced, homosexual activi were banned, and Hirschfeld’s stute was burned down.
THE BARELY REMEMBERED GAY VICTIMS OF THE NAZI CONCENTRATN CAMPS
Pk triangl were origally ed ncentratn mps to intify gay men. * how many gay people died in the holocaust *
Some Nazis believed that the majory of, if not all, homosexuals were Jewish bee many of the proment advot of gay rights and equaly were (cludg Hirschfeld as well as progrsive psychiatrists, physicians, lawyers and jurists). However, om the mid-1930s, Herich Himmler took over the enforcement of anti-gay laws and ma them more sweepg.
More than 100, 000 men intified as homosexual were arrted and many sent to ncentratn mps at Buchenwald, Dach, Sachsenhsen, Mthsen and Achwz, where between 5, 000 and 15, 000 of them died. They were, acrdg to ttimoni by straight and gay survivors, treated worse than other groups (except Jews) bee they were nsired viant.
GAY MEN UNR THE NAZI REGIME
The Nazi regime rried out a mpaign agast male homosexualy and persecuted gay men between 1933 and 1945. * how many gay people died in the holocaust *
This was bee many Nazis believed that hard labour – work gravel ps, cement plants and brickworks – uld “turn” gay men straight.
In Sachsenhsen, most gay men were imprisoned ‘sissy blocks’ and weren’t allowed to mix wh other prisoners. In Sachsenhsen, the majory of gay men were imprisoned “sissy blocks” and weren’t allowed to mix wh other prisoners. In the blocks, they were subject to overt persecutn, cludg verbal and physil homophobia, and surveillance om guards.
Durg one cint 1941, five gay men were rted to a bathroom and had hos shoved down their throats until they drowned.
SERI: GAY MEN AND LBIANS UNR THE NAZI REGIME
Ttimony om Hez Heger, a gay Atrian ncentratn mp survivor (whose real name was Josef Kohout), provis sights to homosexual experienc the mps. Heger relled that gay men had to sleep wh their hands above their blankets, and if they didn’t they were taken outsi and had buckets of water thrown at them.
Homosexualy was not crimalised Germany until 1967 East Germany and 1969 Wt Germany, and so a number of survivors end up back prison.
GAY PEOPLE
While Jews, children, and polil prisoners uld apply for fancial and moral support om the new German ernments, homosexual men uld not. Though the opprsn of gay men durg the Holot may have fad om public memory, hate crim agast LGBTQ+ people around the world are still rife. In the Fall of 1933, the first transport of homosexuals arrived at Fuhlsbüttel ncentratn mp Hamburg, Germany, a small Nazi mp that has an timated 500 victims.
Over the urse of the war about 5, 000-10, 000 homosexuals were killed ncentratn mps and an timated 100, 000 were arrted. Some Amerin and Brish lawyers even mand that homosexuals nvicted unr Article 175 serve out their full sentenc after beg released om ncentratn mps and many were forced to do so.