Frankfurter Engel

The Frankfurter Engel, or Frankfurt Angel, is a poignant memorial in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, commemorating homosexual men and women persecuted under Nazi rule and the repressive Paragraph 175 of the German Criminal Code during the 1950s and 1960s.

Design and Significance:

• This memorial, featuring a statue of an angel, stands as the first of its kind in Germany.

• Created by artist Rosemarie Trockel, it was inaugurated on December 11, 1994.

• The inscription at its base, both a grim reminder and a call to consciousness, acknowledges the persecution of homosexuals in Nazi Germany and serves as a warning against the recurrence of such injustices.

Location and History:

• The competition for its design began on July 20, 1992, culminating in the memorial's establishment at the crossing of Schäfergasse and Alte Gasse streets.

• The Frankfurter Engel is a landmark that not only honors the memory of those persecuted and killed but also symbolizes ongoing struggles against discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The memorial serves as a powerful testament to past atrocities and a vigilant reminder of the need for continued vigilance against prejudice and persecution.

Photo Reinhard Dietrich - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0