In 1933, Nazis Declared a 'National Emergency' Then Kidnapped, Tortured and Murdered Queer People
On Feb. 28, 2019, we mark the observance of the 1933 signing of the Reichstag Fire Decree, the 86-year-old order that allowed the Nazis to escalate their atrocities against all manner of minorities. With contemporary right-wing tactics growing ever more cruel, it’s an important time to reflect on the methods that allowed crimes against humanity to spread in the past.
As in most of the western world, LGBTQ people already faced terrible abuse in Germany before the Nazis came to power. But under the Nazi regime, persecution grew far worse thanks to the expansion of powers allowed by the Reichstag Fire Decree.
Prior to the ’30s, Germany had become a haven for queer people across Europe. Lax enforcement of anti-gay laws meant that cities like Berlin were relatively safe havens, and far more progressive than the United States.
But under Nazi rule, a cultural force emerged that pushed for a national ideal — anything different from an imagined perfection was seen as needing to be exterminated. That sentiment grew far uglier in February 1933. Hitler had only been appointed Chancellor a few weeks prior, but there were already plans to suspend civil liberties. Then, on Feb. 27, 1933, a fire of unknown origin erupted in the Reichstag, home of the German parliament.
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