http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/1119980793

Male homosexuality in West Germany between persecution and freedom, 1945-69

In recent years, much has been written about the fate of homosexuals under Hitler: how they were arrested, incarcerated in prisons and concentration camps, subjected to torture, experiments and even castration. However, little is yet available in English about what happened to them after the Nazi era. Often, the years between 1945 and 1969 are seen simply as a brief interlude before the appearance of the gay liberation movement in the 1970s. This book argues that this period is more important than that. During this time, gay scenes resurfaced, despite the political tensions of the Cold War and the continued enforcement of Nazi-era laws against homosexuality. A more masculine understanding of homosexuality became prominent, leaving its impact on both public stereotypes and personal identities. Finally, a considerable debate about homosexuality emerged among professionals and eventually a wider public, constituting a critical debate within the Sexual Revolution.

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