Saturday 23 October 2010

Video: the last gay Holocaust survivor





A plaque in memory of the deportees to the camp gay unveiled Struthof

Source: leParisien

[Google translation]

A plaque in memory of the deported for homosexuality was unveiled 25 September in the former concentration camp Natzweiler-Struthof (Bas-Rhin) in the presence of probable last survivor of the "pink triangles", Rudolf Brazda.

The plaque, which reads: "To the memory of victims of Nazi barbarism, deported on grounds of homosexuality," was unveiled before about 150 people.

The sub-prefect Emmanuelle Bochenek-Puren was present on behalf of the Secretary of State for Defence and Veterans Affairs, Hubert Falco, held in Paris at the same time for a ceremony to honor the harkis.
Of the 51,684 persons deported to Struthof annexes and camps (22,000 of them died), 215 were for because of homosexuality, including 14 French. Jews were forced to wear a yellow star. Persons prosecuted for homosexuality should wear a pink triangle.

Rudolf Brazda, 97 years, probably the last survivor of those pink triangles, was present.

 The association "Forgotten Memory" was initiated by the plaque that was affixed to the other side on the Wall of Remembrance, below the crematorium of the former concentration camp.

"This is an important step to be accepted," said Philippe Couillard, the president of the association.

"There were about 10,000 persons deported for homosexuality throughout the Reich, but there was a real taboo about the subject after the war that very few people have dared to speak", for its part, said Jean-Luc Schwab Delegate of the Forgotten Memory in Alsace.

"Paragraph 175 of the Criminal Code strengthened by the Nazis in 1935, who stigmatized homosexuals, remained in force until 1968 in East Germany and West Germany until 1969, so that even after the war many people are silent, "said Schwab. "At the time the Nazis believed that homosexuality was contagious, which posed a problem for the perpetuation of the race. That's why they had strengthened the sanctions in this area."
Struthof was the only concentration camp located on French territory.

Founded in 2003, the Association's forgotten working memory to knowledge and recognition of deportation on grounds of homosexuality.

Enhanced by Zemanta

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts with Thumbnails