In 1871 when the Prussian-dominated German Empire was established, the Reich penal code had a paragraph (paragraph 175) that classified homosexuality as "an unnatural form of licentiousness" carrying a prison term for persons caught in such an act. Under the Weimar Republic (1919-1933), the issue became a subject of free public discussion, and the Wissenschaftlich-Humanitares Komitee (Scientific Humanitarian Committee) was established for the defence of homosexuals. Even in that period, the Nazi party denounced homosexuality in no uncertain terms, declaring it a deviation from normal sexual behaviour that placed the main emphasis on the sensual, pleasurable element of sex life to the detriment of the natural increase in population, the nation's strength, and a proper family life.
Nazi Attitudes toward Homosexuality
Sexual relations, according to the Nazi view, 'serve the reproductive process, their purpose being the preservation and continued existence of the Volk, rather than the provision of pleasure to the individual.' Homosexuality, in males and females, was not only an egotistic form of sex life; it also harmed the strength of the Volk and the race, and was therefore incompatible with the ideal of racial purity.
Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals
The wave of "protective custody" (Schutzhaft) of hostile political elements that was launched in the mid-March 1933 also included persons who were known for their activities in behalf of homosexuals. In 1935, paragraph 135 of the penal code was made more stringent when the promotion of friendship between males that was based on homosexuality, even without actual homosexual acts being performed, was made an offence. In August 1936, arrests were carried out in several large cities, in places where homosexuals were known to congregate. The attitude toward homosexuals was that they were asocial elements who should be put in prison. Persons who were found to be "recidivist" and "chronic" homosexuals were incarcerated in concentration camps. The Nazi position on homosexuality, however, was inconsistent, and the approach to it was tactical in nature. Officially, homosexuality was sharply denounced, but its practice in certain Nazi circles was tolerated or ignored. This was the case with Ernst Rohm, chief of the SA (Sturmabteilung; Storm Troopers) and a Hitler confidant, who was a known homosexual, as were several of his aides in the SA command.
