Book Talk – Homophobia in Nazi Concentration Camps, by Dr Uta Rautenberg

Join us for an evening talk by Dr Uta Rautenberg on her new book Homophobia in Nazi Concentration Camps, a seminal study of the often-stigmatised topic of homophobia among prisoners in Nazi camps.

Homophobia in Nazi Concentration Camps reinterprets how prisoner memory and historical historiography reported on same-sex relations and challenges the silence surrounding queerness in the Holocaust, a frequently overlooked aspect of Holocaust history.

Utilising the lens of prisoner perception, the book explores the paths of victims and survivors, who were persecuted by the Nazis and had same-sex relations in the camp. It traces the hierarchies and societal norms in the camp, providing a momentous glimpse into the workings of the prisoner society.

Through the captivating analysis of early testimonies, oral histories, memoirs and extensive archival materials, the book empathetically reconstructs the experiences and lives of victims and survivors, who had previously been silenced, developing a new and important perspective on camp society.