Queer culture of remembrance
At its meeting on February 13, 2019, the Mainz City Council unanimously decided to create a place of remembrance for people who were persecuted in Mainz during the National Socialist era and in the post-war period due to their gender identity or sexual orientation.
LGBTIQ memorial stele
Due to the conviction of male victims of Section 175 of the German Criminal Code by the judiciary and the internment of lesbian women and transgender people in concentration and extermination camps in individual cases, a new stele in the "Historical Mainz" series now invites visitors to commemorate all of the aforementioned victim groups. At the same time, it establishes a connection to the retention of Section 175 of the German Criminal Code in the post-war period.
Germany's first memorial stele for all victims
The memorial stele is the first stele in Germany to commemorate all victims with an LGBTIQ background. It highlights the memory of their suffering and death and was jointly donated by the state of Rhineland-Palatinate and the state capital Mainz.
Due to the involvement of the judiciary through criminal jurisdiction and the convictions under Section 175 of the German Criminal Code (StGB), the current location in front of the regional and district court buildings on Ernst-Ludwig-Platz was chosen.
Together with Mainz associations and initiatives from the LGBTIQ community and in agreement with the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, a suitable inscription for the memorial stele was developed. The unveiling ceremony for the stele took place on July 21, 2021.
Since its unveiling, the memorial stele has been vandalized twice. As is customary in such cases, the stele was cleaned again by the city of Mainz within a very short time.