The Berlin Memorial to the Homosexuals Persecuted under the National Socialist Regime: Ambivalent responses to homosexual visibility

Abstract

The Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted under the National Socialist Regime, unveiled in Berlin in 2008 at the edge of the Tiergarten park, forms part of an impressive commemorative landscape. It caused considerable controversy from the outset due to its twofold intention of recognizing past repression and creating a symbol against the exclusion of gays and lesbians. The article departs from these debates and describes the polyphonous field of visitor reactions to the memorial. It is based empirically on expert interviews, covert observation, and almost one hundred “express interviews” with visitors. The findings suggest that the relationships between visitors and the memorial are shaped by a pronounced aesthetic attitude. Identity-related visitor reactions center on the video installation inside the memorial, which depicts an endless male-to-male kiss. The article shows how visitors derive meaning from the memorial regardless of the superficiality of their encounters.