After the war, some countries, such as Germany and Austria, continued to enforce Paragraph 175, which criminalized homosexual acts between men. This meant that homosexuals who survived the horrors of concentration camps were treated as criminals in their own countries. Many were re-arrested under the same laws the Nazis had used to persecute them.
Pierre Seel and Other Victims
Pierre Seel, one of the few homosexual survivors who dared to tell his story publicly, described his experiences in a book published in 1994. He was arrested in Nazi-occupied France because of his sexual orientation and sent to the Schirmeck-Vorbrück concentration camp. There, he was tortured and forced to watch as his partner was torn apart by dogs before he turned 18. His experiences were harrowing, but even after the war, Seel had to hide his identity due to ongoing discrimination.
The Nazis and Paragraph 175
In Nazi Germany, homosexuality was considered a threat to the survival of the „Aryan” race. Paragraph 175, which criminalized homosexual acts between men, was tightened in 1935, leading to mass arrests. It is estimated that around 100,000 men were arrested, with 10,000-15,000 sent to concentration camps. In the camps, these prisoners were subjected to brutal torture, including castration and medical experiments. About 65% of them died, and many committed suicide.
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No Liberation After 1945
After the liberation of concentration camps in 1945, homosexual prisoners were not recognized as victims of Nazism. Paragraph 175 remained in force in West Germany until 1969, meaning that many homosexuals who survived the camps were re-arrested and had to serve prison sentences. In East Germany, the penalties were milder, but no reparations were awarded to homosexual victims.
Silence and Hidden Identities
Homophobia was widespread in post-war Europe, forcing many survivors to remain silent. Without the support of a community destroyed by the Nazis, homosexual survivors feared speaking about their experiences. Pierre Seel hid his story for years, and his suffering had severe consequences for his mental health.
Slow Recognition and Reparations
It was not until the 1970s that homosexual victims began to publicly share their stories. In 1972, Josef Kohout published his memoirs, and in 1994, Pierre Seel released his book. In 2017, the German Bundestag decided to rehabilitate and compensate the victims of Paragraph 175. However, for many years, LGBTQ organizations were ignored and excluded from Holocaust commemorations.
The Importance of Memory
Despite late and insufficient actions for justice, the stories of homosexual Holocaust victims are essential for a full understanding of history. As a community, we must strive to make these stories an integral part of our collective memory, especially in the face of ongoing discrimination against LGBTQ people.
As the last known survivor of the trials for homosexuality, Rudolf Brazda, died in 2011, it is our duty to continue passing on these tragic stories so they are never forgotten.
Further Testimonies and Survivor Stories
Rudolf Brazda
Rudolf Brazda, the last known homosexual survivor of the Holocaust, who died in 2011, spent over three years in the Buchenwald concentration camp. After liberation, he did not return to his native Germany due to continued discrimination against homosexuals. He chose to settle in France, where he lived in relative peace, although his traumatic experiences from the camp remained forever in his memory. Brazda spoke about his decision to speak out about the past: „We must speak about what happened so it never happens again.”
Heinz F.
Heinz F., who survived the Dachau concentration camp, returned to Munich after the war, where he was re-arrested under Paragraph 175 and sentenced to prison. In his memoir, he said, „I came home hoping for a new life, but the state that was supposed to protect me betrayed me again.”
Continuation of Persecution in East Germany
Although Paragraph 175 was not enforced as harshly in East Germany as in West Germany, homosexuals were still discriminated against. Many had to hide their sexual orientation to avoid repression, even if they were not formally prosecuted. The East German communist regime was suspicious of homosexuals, viewing them as a threat to the socialist order.
International Movement for Recognition of Homosexual Rights
International human rights movements began to pay attention to the situation of homosexual Holocaust survivors only in the 1970s and 1980s. Organizations like ILGA (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association) began lobbying for recognition and compensation for those persecuted under laws like Paragraph 175.
Political and Social Contexts
Societal Attitudes
In the post-war years, Western society was still strongly homophobic. Homosexuals were often excluded from narratives about Nazi victims, and their persecutions were downplayed or ignored. In some cases, they were even seen as complicit in their misfortunes due to prevailing social and legal norms.
Culture of Memory
For decades, homosexuals were marginalized in official Holocaust remembrances. It was not until the 1980s and 1990s that their stories began to be included in larger narratives of wartime persecution and suffering. Holocaust memorials and museums began to incorporate the stories of homosexual victims, and researchers started to explore this aspect of Nazi persecution in more detail.
Rehabilitation and Compensation
Rehabilitation
In 2017, the German Bundestag decided to rehabilitate those convicted under Paragraph 175. This was an important step toward recognizing the injustice experienced by homosexuals. The process included the annulment of convictions and the awarding of financial compensation to living victims.
Financial Compensation
Although the awarding of financial compensation was delayed, it had symbolic significance for many survivors and their families. Many had lived in poverty and marginalization for years, and the compensations aimed to at least partially address the wrongs done.
Education and Memory
Educational Initiatives
Modern educational programs increasingly include the fates of homosexual Holocaust victims. Initiatives such as exhibitions, publications, and documentaries aim to raise awareness of the full extent of Nazi crimes.
The Role of LGBTQ+ Organizations
LGBTQ+ organizations played a key role in spreading awareness about the persecution of homosexuals during World War II. Thanks to their efforts, many people around the world learned about this forgotten part of Holocaust history.
Summary
Homosexuals who survived World War II were left without support and recognition, forced to continue living under the shadow of repression. Their stories, full of pain and courage, are a testament to the injustice they had to endure even after the end of the most horrific conflict in human history. Only by fully recognizing the past can we strive to build a more just future, free from discrimination and intolerance.
QUESTIONS: The Fate of Homosexuals After Concentration Camps
1. What happened to homosexuals after World War II ended?
After World War II, homosexuals who survived concentration camps were often re-arrested and imprisoned in their countries, where laws criminalizing homosexuality, such as Paragraph 175 in Germany, were still in force.
2. What was Paragraph 175?
Paragraph 175 was a German legal provision introduced in 1871 that criminalized homosexual acts between men. It was tightened by the Nazis in 1935, leading to mass arrests of homosexuals, many of whom were sent to concentration camps.
3. What were the consequences of enforcing Paragraph 175 after the war?
After the war, Paragraph 175 remained in force in West Germany until 1969, meaning that homosexuals continued to be arrested and sentenced to prison. In Austria, similar laws were in effect until 1971.
4. What are the known accounts of homosexual concentration camp survivors?
Pierre Seel, Heinz Dörmer, and Rudolf Brazda are just a few of the homosexual survivors who publicly shared their experiences. Seel was arrested in occupied France and sent to the Schirmeck-Vorbrück concentration camp. Heinz Dörmer returned to Munich after the war, where he was re-arrested. Rudolf Brazda spent over three years in Buchenwald and settled in France after the war.
5. Did homosexuals receive any recognition or compensation for their suffering?
It was not until 2002 that the German government officially apologized to homosexual victims of Nazi persecution, and in 2017, the Bundestag decided to rehabilitate and compensate those persecuted under Paragraph 175.
6. How did society treat homosexuals after the war?
Social acceptance of homosexuality was low, forcing homosexuals to hide their orientation. Homophobia was widespread, and homosexuals were often marginalized and excluded from narratives about Nazi victims.
7. How did the situation of homosexuals in Europe change after the war?
In the 1960s and 1970s, movements for homosexual rights began fighting to abolish discriminatory legal provisions. In West Germany, partial decriminalization of homosexuality occurred in 1969, and Paragraph 175 was fully repealed in 1994. In Austria, similar legal changes were introduced in 1971.
8. What were later initiatives for recognizing and remembering homosexual Nazi victims?
LGBTQ+ organizations and researchers have been working for decades to raise awareness of the persecution of homosexuals during the Holocaust. Exhibitions, publications, documentaries, and educational programs have all contributed to spreading this knowledge.
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