The secret of the pink angle: a symbol of memory and strength

The secret of the pink angle: a symbol of memory and strength

in the Qwien, the Queer Cultural Center in Vienna, is an extraordinary exhibit: a man -sized triangle made of pink plush that symbolizes the pink angle. This sign has an eventful story that has its origin in the Nazi era. The pink angle was originally used to mark homosexual prisoners in concentration camps. In the 1980s, on the other hand, the symbol developed into a distinguishing feature for young gays, while in the 1990s it was even presented on a Pride parade in the form of a costume by the head of the anti-discrimination agency in Vienna. These different meanings make the pink plush costume a fascinating addition to the queer documentation site, such as DerStandard.

The darkest time in the history of the pink angle unfolds during the National Socialist rule. Men who were classified as gay according to paragraph 175 suffered from extreme persecution. Homosexuality was a big taboo, and terms such as "queer" or "trans" were completely unknown to the pursuers and those affected. According to [Arolsen Archives] (https://arolsen-archives.org/dossiers/anderssein-verboten/der-rosa-winkel-homosexualitaet-im- nationalism/), homosexual prisoners wore the pink angle to display their supposed "deviation", which illustrated the brutal Nazi ideology. Terrifying estimates assume that between 6,000 and 10,000 men were detained in concentration camps due to their sexuality.

The persecuted identities

homosexual men were not the only ones who suffered from the Nazi regime. Women have not yet been prosecuted in the "altreich", but in Austria there were legal foundations for the arrest of lesbian women. They too were exposed to risks of denunciations, for example because of their sexual orientation or on the basis of other characteristics. While more and more light has been thrown on the persecution of homosexuals and other queer people in recent decades, [Foundation Memorials] (https://www.stiftung-gägerstaetten.de/themen/online/rosa-winkel/verfolgung-von-homosexual-im-im- National Socialism) emphasizes had suffered, as "professional criminals" were classified and thus had to carry a green angle.

Thanks to the continuous processing and documentation of such topics in the Qwien, awareness of the queer history in Vienna and the world is kept awake. The connection between the past and the present, symbolized by the pink angle, makes it clear how important it is to recognize and tell the stories of the often overlooked identities. In this archive of the authorization, not only the work is done, but also the struggle for the rights of queer people who continue to this day.