Content Warning: This article discusses historical persecution, including imprisonment and forced medical procedures, which may be distressing. Its purpose is to educate about human rights violations and their historical context.

During the Nazi regime (1933–1945), gay men faced severe persecution under Section 175 of the German Penal Code, which had criminalized male homosexuality since 1871. Despite a growing gay community in the Weimar Republic, the Nazis intensified law enforcement, targeting gay men as threats to their ideology of “Aryan” purity and traditional family structures. Approximately 100,000 men were arrested, with more than 53,000 convictions, many of them sent to concentration camps where they endured extreme abuse. This analysis, based on sources such as the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and survivor accounts, examines the Nazi campaign against gay men, its mechanisms, and its impact, fostering debate about human rights and the dangers of discrimination.

Pre-Nazi Context and Weimar Liberalization
In the mid- to late 19th century, Germany saw the emergence of nascent gay communities, particularly in urban areas. The Weimar Republic (1918–1933) offered relative openness, with advocates such as Magnus Hirschfeld campaigning for the repeal of Paragraph 175, which prohibited male homosexual acts. Gay bars and cultural spaces flourished, although legal risks persisted.

The Nazi Party, which emerged in the 1920s, opposed decriminalization and viewed homosexuality as a deviant act that undermined its racial and familial ideals. Still, within the party, figures such as Ernst Röhm, leader of the SA and openly “same-sex-oriented,” existed, creating ideological contradictions.

Nazi Seizure of Power and Initial Repression
On January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler became chancellor, and the Nazis began dismantling Weimar’s homosexual networks. In late 1933, under the leadership of Heinrich Himmler, Reinhard Heydrich, deputy of the Bavarian Political Police, ordered “pink lists” to identify homosexuals in major cities. These lists facilitated raids on gay bars and mass arrests in 1934, targeting men not involved in politics.

The Gestapo, as political police, detained suspects without trial. The courts introduced mandatory castration for certain criminals in 1933, although consent was initially required. Men convicted under Section 175 could obtain early release by voluntarily offering castration, as did Friedrich-Paul von Groszheim, arrested in 1934.

Escalation of Persecution (1934–1936)
Three key events intensified the campaign:

Röhm Purge (June–July 1934): The murder of Ernst Röhm and the SA leaders during the Night of the Long Knives was partly justified by Nazi propaganda that cited Röhm’s homosexuality, framing it as moral corruption.

Revision of Section 175 (June 1935): The law was expanded to criminalize a wider range of homosexual acts, lowering the threshold of evidence and increasing penalties.

Reich Central Office (1936): Himmler established the Reich Central Office for the Combat of Homosexuality and Abortion, centralizing efforts to suppress both as threats to population growth.

In 1935–1936, police raids on homosexual gathering places intensified, prompted by complaints from neighbors, colleagues, or relatives. Scholar Robert Moeller points to the regime’s use of fear to isolate homosexual men.

Concentration Camps and Pink Triangles
Homosexual men convicted under Paragraph 175 were sent to camps such as Dachau, Sachsenhausen, and Buchenwald, marked with pink triangles for identification. Approximately 5,000 to 15,000 people were imprisoned and faced brutal treatment. Survivor accounts, such as that of Josef Kohout, arrested in March 1939 after his Christmas card to a lover was intercepted, describe sadistic abuse by SS guards, including beatings and murders during “games.”

From November 1942, camp commandants could order forced castrations for Pink Triangle prisoners, often without consent. Kohout, who was 24 at the time of his arrest, endured these conditions. Scholars estimate 100,000 arrests under Paragraph 175, with more than 53,000 convictions, reflecting the scale of the campaign.

Postwar Legacy and Challenges

After Germany’s surrender in May 1945, many gay survivors faced continued stigma. Paragraph 175 remained in effect in West Germany until 1969, and the convictions were not overturned until the 1990s. Victims like Kohout received no reparations until belated reforms were implemented, with formal apologies issued by Germany in 2002.

The persecution decimated gay communities and erased Weimar’s cultural achievements. Memorials, such as Berlin’s Memorial to Homosexual Victims, and survivor testimonies preserve their stories.

The Nazi persecution of gay men under Paragraph 175 was a systematic effort to erase a marginalized group, costing thousands of lives and livelihoods. For history buffs, it underscores the fragility of human rights and the dangers of discriminatory ideologies. By studying sources like the USHMM, we honor survivors like Josef Kohout and advocate for inclusion, fostering dialogue to prevent such atrocities.