ABSTRACT
Much research has been done on the Holocaust in the past fifty years. Yet only in the past twenty-five years have we begun to gain an understanding of gay and lesbian experiences under the National Socialists (NSDAP). The persecution of homosexuals remained basically untouched by scholars of National Socialism. Historical accounts, personal stories, and other literature from homosexuals during the Third Reich have only recently come to light both in Germany and the rest of the world. Translation discrepancies are common in existing literature, and with the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, new materials have become available with some works already published in German, though most have yet to be translated into English. With more access to new materials and an increased acceptance of homosexuality in the countries once under the Third Reich, gay and lesbian Holocaust survivors are beginning to tell their stories, though many still ask for anonymity. This chapter seeks to explore the evolution of historical research regarding the persecution of homosexuals during the Third Reich, as well as to give a brief glimpse into some of the stories told by those who lived through this ordeal.
