25 years ago, Germany abolished paragraph 175 of the criminal code, homosexual acts between adults are no longer since then, a punishable offence. Review on a German-German history of persecution.
October 1990 to demonstrate homosexuals in Berlin against the introduction of paragraph 175 in the new countries
The year 1994 has gone down in history. In South Africa, Nelson Mandela was sworn in as the first black President of South Africa. In Europe, the Eurotunnel between Britain and France, was released for car traffic, and also in Germany, something Historic occurred.
For the former Federal attorney Manfred Bruns, the pure relief””: for Decades had fought Bruns, himself gay, for the abolition of paragraph 175. 11. In June 1994, it was finally so far: The so-called Gay clause, which dates from the Imperial period, has been deleted from the criminal code. Thus, the legal persecution of Homosexuals in Germany, which lasted over a century ended.
Manfred Bruns: “The fear was that all the men are gay, if we repeal paragraph 175”
The spirit of the Nazis
With the founding of the German Empire in 1871, the so-called Gay paragraph was introduced to punish “unnatural fornication” between men with up to six months in prison. The national socialists intensified the persecution – a kiss or a coveted look was enough to land as a Gay in prison. In cases of “severe lewdness” even threatened breeding house with up to ten years.
The Federal Republic of Germany held on to the Nazi version of the law text is largely unchanged, while the GDR to the old version returned. With great diligence, and with the help of the “Pink list” of the Nazis have been initiated in West Germany, around 100,000 procedures against homosexuals, and excessive sentences of imprisonment pronounced.
DDR-is right
The former Federal Prosecutor Bruns is confident: “Without unification, it would not come to abolish Paragraph 175.” The supposedly so backward East, not in the so-called round tables, that the Federal Republican law, of all things, at paragraphs 175 and pregnancy termination to overall German law.
A recording of the Hamburg forensic inspection “custom” from 1952 is evidence of the “Crime” of a gay couple
Bruns recalls: “The West German society was a long way off, but the CDU and CSU were not there”. While in West Germany in the 1980s, Prime-time television debate about how Gay life because, it had in neighboring countries, such as France or the Netherlands becoming the norm. “Homosexuality does not fit many of the conservative forces in Germany to the world,” says Bruns. “Many feared that homosexuality would spread like wildfire.”
To be afraid of, discovered
The long way, the homosexual in Germany, had to go to the same position, is shown by the example of Manfred Bruns. 1934 in Linz am Rhein, was born and in a erzkatholischen home raised, under the lawyer presses for decades, all the signs that he could be gay, married and the father of three children. Professionally, he makes a brilliant career, is a Federal Prosecutor at the Federal court in Karlsruhe.
“I was hiding, of course, first of all, also out of fear that I will lose my citizenship and my family,” he recalls, “but then the Moment came, eventually, where I could suppress”.
As homosexuality, in 1983, became briefly political topic, decided to Bruns for a soon-to-Coming-Out. Chancellor Helmut Kohl had just let his new government with the election, to confirm, when the former Four-star General Günter Kießling with the (then) accusation was confronted that he was gay. The so-called Kiessling affair led in 1984 to a premature dismissal of the then Deputy NATO commander in Europe.
Allegedly open to blackmail: General Kiessling (r) was dismissed on suspicion of homosexuality in advance
Media pounce on taboo subject
For Bruns, who had confided in before his wife, this was the time to make the German Federal court of justice in Karlsruhe, pure table. His superior, chief Federal Prosecutor Kurt Rebmann, shows no understanding. “The man was insanely conservative and couldn’t handle it. Rebmann has put me in a different Senate.”
The reasoning: Bruns, had to do the third criminal Senate with espionage, with his “deviant sexual a safety risk-taking behaviour”. “We have not spoken for a couple of years with each other,” recalls the former Federal Prosecutor today.
A year later the whole of Germany learns that Manfred Bruns is gay. The Federal Prosecutor is invited to the home of the TV talk show “Three to Nine”, it goes to the issue of homosexuality. “And then the presenter Lea Rosh asks me in front of the camera, although agreed, was that not about my private Background, speak of how the would be with me. I was also with my wife special arrangements.” The Bild newspaper did the same and ran the headline: “Federal Prosecutor Bruns admits: I’m gay!” Bruns‘ public Coming Out, strengthens, and shapes the political Gay and lesbian movement in Germany.
“Gay Minister, this is great”
Lawyer Bruns discovered at the time of his life theme, begins, for the rights and equality of the “175er” (as they were then called), and is spokesman for the lesbian and gay Federation in Germany (LSVD). In 1994, the then Federal President Roman Herzog, for his involvement with the Federal cross of merit awarded it.
Still works, Manfred Bruns, of for 26 years, happy with his Partner, the LSVD as a legal Advisor.Especially lesbian couples to call him. “If two women have a child, is not only the birth mother the legal parent of the child, the Co-mother, however, you need to make a step-child adoption,” explains Bruns.
The Motivation for his commitment remained the same: “I had to do something to CVS, as my repeat.” Today, finally, is Manfred Bruns on the target. Or, possibly, even beyond. “In 1989, we called for the first Time, the marriage for all, in 2017, we have reached the. And today, it is possible that in Germany we have a gay Minister. This is a good thing.”