BesondersWeg

Monument to the Persecuted Homosexuals

The Memorial to the Homosexuals Persecuted under the National Socialist Regime was unveiled in 2008 and stands directly across from the Monument to the Murdered Jews of Europe. It mimics the form of that monument, but when you walk up to the stela, you can peek through the window to see a video of two men kissing inside which was filmed on the same spot as the memorial now stands.

(Don’t rise up in arms about the depiction of “homosexuals” as “two attractive white men” quite yet. The video inside will be changed every two years. I suspect that the next one will feature lesbians, and that your favorite intersectional group is just around the corner.)

It’s hard for me to say much about this memorial. It echoes the more famous memorial across the street, and by doing so it suggests that the different categories of victims have something in common, and even that they overlap, which I like, although it does kind of serve to remind you how conventional the first memorial already seems.

But then it has this added layer of a hidden video, revealing the unique aspects of a queer identity, precisely those aspects that had to be hidden under National Socialism.

I was worried that the overall effect was going to be a little too “peep show” for me, but the first video is a very simple embrace and kiss, and I felt touched rather than titillated. I like that they didn’t over-reach for shock value. I thought the film was a little self-conscious–I felt like I was watching actors rather than lovers–but in another year they’ll get another try, and I’m curious to see what they’ll come up with.

And here’s the abridged memorial text:

“In Nazi Germany, homosexuality was persecuted to a degree unprecedented in history… thousands of men were sent to concentration camps for being gay; many of them died there. They died of hunger, disease and abuse or were the victims of targeted killings.”

“The National Socialists destroyed the communities of gay men and women. Female homosexuality was not prosecuted… however, lesbians who came into conflict with the regime were also subject to repressive measures. Under the Nazi regime, gay men and women lived in fear and under constant pressure to hide their sexuality.

“For many years, the homosexual victims of National Socialism were not included in public commemorations… in both East and West Germany, homosexuality continued to be prosecuted for many years. In the Federal Republic, Section 175 [which made all male homosexuality a crime] remained in force without amendment until 1969.”

“Because of its history, Germany has a special responsibility to actively oppose the violation of gay men’s and lesbians’ human rights. In many parts of the world, people continue to be persecuted for their sexuality. Homosexual love remains illegal and a kiss can be dangerous.

“With this memorial, the Federal Republic of Germany intends to honour the victims of persecution and murder, to keep alive the memory of this injustice, and to create a lasting symbol of opposition to enmity, intolerance and the exclusion of gay men and lesbians.”

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