15
Germans saw gays as unlikely to increase the German birthrate, thus making them a target.
women, however,
were not regarded as a threat to Nazi racial policies and were persecuted less. Similarly, the Nazis generally did not
target non-German homosexuals unless they were active with German partners. In most cases, the Nazis were
prepared to accept gays into the "racial community" provided that they became "racially conscious" and gave up
their “lifestyle.”
In the early stages, the Nazis drove gays underground, destroying their support networks. In 1934, the secret state
police instructed local police forces to keep lists of all men engaged in “homosexual activities” and the Nazis used
these "pink lists" to hunt down men during raids. In 1935, the category of "criminally indecent activities between
men" was expanded to include any act that could be interpreted as homosexual, making even intent or thought a
crime. Between 1933 and 1945, the police arrested around 100,000 men for homosexuality, half of whom spent
time in regular prisons. Between 5,000 and 15,000 were put in concentration camps, where they were marked by a
pink triangle. According to many survivors, gays were among the most abused groups in the camps. Because Nazis
believed homosexuality was a sickness, they designed policies to "cure" their "disease" through humiliation and
hard work. Nazis interested in finding a "cure" for homosexuality conducted medical experimentation on gay
inmates of concentration camps. These experiments caused illness, mutilation, and even death, and yielded no
scientific knowledge. Gays were segregated in order to prevent homosexuality from spreading to other inmates and
guards. Even in the 21
st
century, homosexuality is illegal in over 70 countries and punishable by death in 5.
Jehovah’s Witnesses: Non-Jewish Victims of the Holocaust
Jehovah’s Witnesses, a branch of Christianity, were persecuted under
the Nazi regime because of their unwillingness to accept the authority of
the Nazi Party and their strong opposition to the war. While Witnesses
contended that they were politically neutral and that their actions were
not anti-Nazi, their unwillingness to give the Nazi salute, join party
organizations, let their children join the Hitler Youth, participate in the
elections, and adorn their homes with Nazi flags made them suspect.
While the religion was not outright banned, many of the activities
related to the faith came under attack. A special unit of the secret police
compiled a list of all persons believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses, and
agents infiltrated their Bible study meetings. For refusing to be drafted
and continuing to meet illegally, Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and
incarcerated in prisons and concentration camps. By 1939, an estimated
6,000 Witnesses were detained in prisons or concentration camps, where
they were marked by purple triangular patches. Others fled Germany,
continued their religious observance in private, or ceased to observe
altogether. Some Witnesses were tortured in attempts to make them
renounce their faith, but few surrendered. Camp authorities considered
Witnesses to be relatively trustworthy because they refused to escape or
physically resist their guards, so officers and guards often used
Witnesses as domestic servants.
The number of Jehovah's Witnesses who died in concentration camps and prisons during the Nazi era is estimated
at 1,000 Germans and 400 from other countries, including about 90 Austrians and 120 Dutch. In addition, about
250 German Jehovah's Witnesses were executed for refusing to serve in the German military.
Jewish resistance
Persecution and mass murder fueled resistance to the Nazis both in Germany and throughout Europe. Armed
resistance was the most forceful form of Jewish opposition. In 1943, Jews in the Warsaw ghetto rose in armed
revolt after hearing that they were to be deported to the Treblinka killing center. Members of the Jewish Fighting
Organization and other similar groups attacked German tanks with Molotov cocktails, hand grenades, and a handful
of small arms. During the same year, ghetto inhabitants rose against the Nazis in Vilna, Bialystok, and a number of
other ghettos. The fighters took up arms knowing that the majority of ghetto inhabitants had already been deported
Purple triangle worn by Jehovah’s Witnesses
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
