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The Men with the Pink Triangle: The True Life-and-Death Story of Homosexuals in the Nazi Death Camps
For anyone who has ever wondered what life was like for the millions who were sent to the death camps of Nazi Germany, this is a truly insightful book. Heinz Heger describes what life was like in one of those camps in vivid detail, and you can't help but imagine yourself there among the dead and dying. Everything from the political structure in the camps to how the prisoners were arranged and organized is all portrayed with terrifying richness. His stories of the SS guards and other prisoners tell a tale of horror and cruelty, but also of love and kindness in the midst of it all. While reading this book, I asked myself many times if I would have had the strength to survive. Would I be willing to do whatever it takes so I could have a meal to eat or so I wouldn't be sent off to die? Let's hope none of us have to answer those questions.
The Men with the Pink Triangle: The True Life-and-Death Story of Homosexuals in the Nazi Death Camps
The product came on time and enjoyed the book. More books need to be written on this topic.
The Men with the Pink Triangle: The True Life-and-Death Story of Homosexuals in the Nazi Death Camps
Although short, this man's story could have benefitted from some thoughtful editing. Powerfully recounting his persecution at the hands of the Nazi regime, a full picture could have been painted had the author continued to tell its affects on the rest of his life AFTER World War II. An important book, no doubt, and definitely to be included in any Holocaust library.
The Men with the Pink Triangle: The True Life-and-Death Story of Homosexuals in the Nazi Death Camps
A sodomy law had been on the German law books since 1871, a law known simply as Paragraph 175. Only a few people were ever sentenced under this obscure law until June of 1935 when, after the rise of Hitler and Nazism, the Nuremberg laws were enacted and the consequences of Paragraph 175 strengthened. Where once before, you had to be caught in the act of same sex relations, now simply receiving a letter or the spreading of idle gossip would have you sent to a concentration camp."The Men with the Pink Triangle" is one anonymous man's account of the harshness and cruelty faced by gay men at the hands of the SS and the ruling Nazi party, as well as by the other prisoners -- criminals, politicals, emigrants -- who viewed "filthy queers" as lower than the rest of them. They were distinguished by the large, pink triangles sown onto their prison outfits, making them easy targets for taunts and punishments. Also, homosexuals labored through the worst of the work details and "volunteered" for medical experimentation, which usually resulted in their deaths.Some advantages also appeared for gay men. The "Capos" who were in charge of the prisoner barracks, often made lovers of some of the prisoners, giving them some protection and better rations and clothing. As is says in the book: "Homosexual behavior between two 'normal' men is considered an emergency outlet, while the same thing between two gay men, who both feel deeply for one another, is something 'filthy' and repulsive." The anonymous man used this to his advantage and survived the camps and the threat of being sent to the front lines.Ths is a moving and powerful story about survival and about the right to be who you are, during one of the darkest times in world history. Highly recommended.
The Men with the Pink Triangle: The True Life-and-Death Story of Homosexuals in the Nazi Death Camps
A tremendously moving and easy to read book, The Men With the Pink Triangle provides the reader with not only descriptions of the horrific treatment suffered by gays in the Nazi camps, but also provides insight into the intra-camp politics among the prisoners. The anonymous narrator provides details on how the "capos" and the criminal prisoners operated, and how one could "survive" one's incarceration as long as one was willing to accept the camp heirarchy.But by far, the descriptions of the brutality of the SS troops in the camps is the most rivitting. The terse language of the narrative increases the decriptions' impact. There's no intellectualizing this abuse in this tome. Unfortunately, we need more books like this one. But I'm afraid many of those gays who survived the camps are still unwilling to speak, and that is largely because of how they were treated after the camps were "liberated." The Nazis were brutal in their treatment, but you knew where they stood because the Nazis didn't hide their contempt. Bureaucrats today, however, are much more sinister.
The Men with the Pink Triangle: The True Life-and-Death Story of Homosexuals in the Nazi Death Camps
I figure we teach school kids about the Jews suffering in the Holocaust, and the blacks struggle for Civil Rights. It would make sense that kids learn the dangers of homophobic bigotry, by reading this book. It will open your eyes! The same anti-gay stereotypes then, are the same ones now.This book is about a gay man who survived the Pink Triangle, and took him over 25 years to tell his story, as their were still many anti-gay laws on the books there. This man never wanted any public or economic gains from telling his story. In fact the Nazis had more contempt for the gays than they did the 'inferior racial groups' they persecuted.