Berlin's Memorial to Homosexual Victims of Nazism

In the heart of Berlin's Tiergarten, the Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism stands as a solemn tribute to a long-overlooked group of victims. Located on Ebertstraße, directly opposite the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, this monument was officially dedicated on May 27, 2008. It serves not only as a place of remembrance but also as a powerful, ongoing statement against intolerance and exclusion.

Design and Symbolism

Designed by the Scandinavian artist duo Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset, the memorial is a large, asymmetrical concrete cuboid. Its form intentionally echoes the stelae of the nearby Jewish Memorial, creating a visual link while asserting the unique history of homosexual persecution. The structure stands approximately 3.60 meters high and 1.90 meters wide.

A key feature is a small, square window on one side. Through this aperture, visitors can view a continuously looping film depicting a scene of same-sex affection. This dynamic element was designed to symbolize enduring love and human connection. The film itself is periodically changed, with works commissioned from various artists, including an initial piece by the designers and a later one by Israeli artist Yael Bartana. The memorial's location is also significant, as the Tiergarten was historically a known meeting place for gay men in Berlin.

A History of Persecution

Before the Nazi rise to power, Berlin had a vibrant gay culture, despite the existence of Paragraph 175, a law that criminalized male homosexual acts but was not always strictly enforced. The city was home to Magnus Hirschfeld's world-renowned Institute for Sexual Science, a pioneering center for research into sexual diversity.

This relative tolerance ended abruptly with Hitler's chancellorship in 1933. The Nazi regime began a brutal campaign of repression. In May 1933, the Institute for Sexual Science was looted and its library of 12,000 books was publicly burned. The persecution intensified in 1935 with a revision of Paragraph 175, which expanded the law to make even a kiss between men a punishable offense. An estimated 100,000 men were arrested under this law, with about 50,000 convicted. Between 5,000 and 15,000 of these men were sent to concentration camps, where they were forced to wear a pink triangle badge and suffered a death rate estimated as high as 60 percent.

The Long Road to Remembrance

The end of World War II did not bring recognition or justice for homosexual victims. They were not officially acknowledged as a victim group and were denied compensation. Shockingly, Paragraph 175 remained in effect in West Germany, and men continued to be prosecuted under the same law used by the Nazis. The law was only partially reformed in 1969 and not fully abolished until 1994.

The movement to commemorate these 'forgotten victims' gained momentum in the 1980s. In 1985, German President Richard von Weizsäcker publicly acknowledged homosexuals as a victim group. On May 17, 2002, the German Bundestag issued an official apology and nullified the Nazi-era convictions under Paragraph 175. Following years of activism by groups like the Lesbian and Gay Association in Germany (LSVD), the Bundestag approved the construction of a national memorial in 2003, leading to its 2008 inauguration.

The Memorial Today

The Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism is accessible to the public 24 hours a day. A signboard in German and English provides historical context about the persecution and the long-lasting impact of Paragraph 175. The monument functions as a site for quiet contemplation and a stark reminder of historical injustice, standing as a 'constant sign against intolerance, hostility and exclusion towards gays and lesbians' in the modern world.