by Heinz Heger
Review by: Rachael Binning (authors page) (back to index page)
Summary
“The Men With The Pink Triangle” is a gripping personal
account of the gruesome persecution that took place against homosexuals during
World War 11. This book stresses the point that although homosexuals
were treated as horribly as Jews, or if not worse, there is little recognition
of the abuse homosexuals did endure. This in part had to do with the
fact that even after the war homosexuality was considered a crime in Germany
and even today is still considered a controversial topic, therefore preventing
survivors from sharing their stories.
Heinz Heger gives a chilling and detailed account of his
experiences in prison and the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Germany.
Heger was born in Vienna in March 1939 and was a university student
at the time of his arrest. Unlike many homosexuals during this time,
he had revealed his homosexuality to his mother and was still accepted in
his family. Under paragraph 175 of the criminal code Heger was arrested
without warning and taken to a prison where he remained for six months with
many criminals. Although he was promised release after six months he
was then transported to Sachsenhausen, where he remained until liberation.
Much of Heger’s autobiography is devoted to the description
of the terrible condition the inmates were forced to survive in and the methods
Heger used for survival. Although many men, including Heger, were put
into concentration camps because of their homosexuality, this did not prevent
other men, not convicted as homosexuals, to participate in homosexual acts.
In fact, Heger was able to survive by becoming a “dolly-boy” for several
Capos. In return for sexual favors, Heger received increased rations
of food and protection from severe treatment and punishment. Because
Heger maintained a good reputation in the camp, towards the end of his imprisonment,
Heger became the first homosexual Capo and remained in this position till
the camp was liberated.
Similar to other camps, as the Nazis were becoming dangerously
close to defeat they began a “death march,” where all of the prisoners were
marched on foot, many miles towards Dachau. This march was particularly
gruesome and many men died of exhaustion. One morning during the march
the prisoners woke up to find that the SS men had abandoned them. Heger
and several other men took this opportunity to run away and eventually found
a farm where they were kindly greeted and received food. Eventually
Heger did make it safely back to his home. Sadly his mother only greeted
him, for his father had committed suicide due to the abuse he received because
his son was a homosexual. Although Heger was extremely happy to be home
and was accepted by his family, his community did not receive him with open
arms. Homosexuality was still looked down upon and was considered illegal.
Because of this he did not receive compensation for his time in the
concentration camp unlike other survivors. Heger ends his novel with
the important message that the many victims should never be forgotten
Book
Review
This book was my first introduction to the topic of the
homosexuality during the Holocaust. Although the introduction by David
Fernbach gave several important facts concerning the treatment and law against
homosexuals during the Holocaust, most of the book was not dedicated to facts,
but rather to Heger’s story and the abuses he suffered. It is now clear
to me why this book has reached such a high status, because it reveals a part
of the Holocaust that was discussed or researched for many years. As
Heger implied at the end of his memoir, many homosexual victims were apprehensive
about telling their story because after the war homosexuality was still illegal
and not accepted in most societies. Because of this, little is known
about the treatment of homosexuals during this time compared to the information
known about Jewish victims. One point stressed throughout Heger’s story
was the horrific treatment that the homosexuals endured. At this time
homosexuality was considered by many to be a disease. Because of this
homosexuals were isolated in their own bunks, where they were forced to sleep
with the lights on at all times and their hands were never allowed to be under
their blankets or covers. At one time during Heger’s imprisonment Himmler
even forced homosexuals to sleep with Jewish and Gypsy women in an attempt
to “cure” their “disease.” First published in 1972, Heger’s personal
account was one of the first books to expose the horrible abuse homosexuals
endured during the Nazi regime.
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
www.ushmm.com
Webpage
Summary
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, located in
Washington D.C. is one of the premier institutes on the Holocaust and is known
around the world for its extensive research and exhibits on the Holocaust.
The web site for this museum is full of information about many aspects
of the Holocaust, including homosexuality. By typing the key word “homosexual”
in the search button on the main page it is easy to find endless numbers of
sites and documents about this subject. Not only does the site include
facts about the treatment of homosexuals at this time, it also includes many
personal stories and events taking place at the museum relating to homosexuals.
Webpage
Commentary
After looking at several web sites I found that this
one contain the most information about homosexuals during the Holocaust. The
site is clearly organized, has an abundance of information, and is fairly
interactive. While looking as several informative pages one is able
to click on pictures of people persecuted during the Holocaust and also to
read their stories. This site is an excellent supplement to “The Men
With The Pink Triangle” because it provides the facts behind Heger’s story
and also gives information about several other homosexuals who were targets
of persecution, similar to Heger.