Queer destinies in National Socialism: Exhibition in Ludwigsburg

Queer destinies in National Socialism: Exhibition in Ludwigsburg

The fate of queer people during the Nazi era comes to life in a remarkable exhibition. The traveling exhibition "Living at Risk. Queer People 1933-1945" takes visitors through the dark past and shows the state repression and persecution of these often forgotten victims. Friedrich Enchelmayer, a tragic example from Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, was convicted between 1934 and 1937 for violating Paragraph 175, which was in force at the time and criminalized “fornication between men”. Only a single photo of him bears witness to his existence.

Enchelmayer, an iron turner, was, like many of his contemporaries, confronted with massive discrimination. After his first prison sentence, he sought medical treatment, but this was unsuccessful. After getting into a relationship with a girl, he quickly realized that she wasn't the right one for him. His sexual orientation ultimately led to deportation: he was denounced as an enemy of the people in 1940 and died in the Dachau concentration camp at the age of just 32. He was previously interned in the Sachsenhausen and Neuengamme camps.

Insights into the exhibition

The exhibition, which is organized by the Federal Foundation Magnus Hirschfeld, tours through Germany and also stops in Ludwigsburg. Regional documents from the Baden-Württemberg State Archives are presented here, which complement what the exhibition reports on. It not only shows the brutal repression, but also sheds light on the lives, friendships and networks of queer people under extreme conditions.

Events surrounding this exhibition have already received a lot of attention. Bundestag President Bärbel Bas (SPD) visited the exhibition in the Paul Löbe House and spoke out in favor of the important recognition of the personal rights of all people. She made it clear that the challenges that queer people still face today should not be forgotten. “Even today there is hostility that is reminiscent of the bitter past,” noted Bas, calling for more sensitivity and understanding in society.

Culture of remembrance and social exclusion

The racist and homophobic repression that many queer people suffered caused significant damage, and not just during the Third Reich. By 1945, around 50,000 people had been convicted by the Nazi judiciary under paragraphs 175 and 175a, with most being locked up in prison. After the end of National Socialism, exclusion and discrimination continued. Freed homosexuals from the concentration camps were often transferred to regular prisons to serve their sentences. The special criminal law for homosexuality was only abolished in 1988 in the GDR and 1994 in the Federal Republic of Germany.

The traveling exhibition “living in danger” not only illustrates the historical dimension of the problem, but also makes the painful legacy of queer people visible to this day. While the regional destinies are being honored in Ludwigsburg, it is a step in the right direction to advance visibility and discourse about the rights of all people. SWR and The Parliament report that this exhibition represents an important part of our culture of remembrance, in which the stories that were often in the shadow of history are now heard.