Friedrich-Paul von Groszheim: A Survivor's Story

Friedrich-Paul was born in the city of Luebeck, in northern Germany. His father died in WWI, and after his mother died, he and his sister were raised by his two elderly aunts. After graduating from school, he began training to be a merchant. In 1937, the SS arrested 230 men in Luebeck under the Nazi-revised criminal code's paragraph 175, which outlawed homosexuality. Friedrich-Paul was imprisoned for 10 months.

Homosexuals in concentration camps were forced to wear pink triangles.

In 1938, he was re-arrested, and it was there he was both humiliated and tortured. They eventually would release him, but only on the condition that he agree to be castrated. He submitted, and because of the nature of this operation, when he attempted to go in for military service years later he was to be rejected as "physically unfit". In 1943 he was arrested again and kept as a political prisoner for being a monarchist, being a supporter of the former Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Friedrich-Paul's story is tragic, but what's worse is just how unknown his story is. This man was given the choice between castration, and going to a concentration camp. He was treated as less than human over something beyond his control, and that he had no choice in - his sexuality. According to many survivor accounts, gay men in concentration camps were among the most abused groups. Nazis were interested in finding a "cure" for homosexuality and would conduct various medical experiments on some of the gay concentration camp inmates. These experiments often caused illness, mutilation, and even death, and yielded no scientific knowledge. I'm aware homophobia is still very much alive, and it needs to stop. People are shunned and hated for being in love.

Due to on-going persecution of homosexuals in Germany. it took nearly half a century before Von Groszheim broke his silence. Recently he explained why he began to speak out: "I'm living proof that Hitler didn't win. I'm aware of that every day. If I don't tell my story, who will know the truth?" I think more people should strive to be like this man. His bravery is inspiring, and more people should be willing to speak out, and fight to put an end to hate.