English, French, Italian
Commemorate 2019
We are delighted with the active sympathy and participation in the memorial service for the persecuted and murdered lesbian women in 2019. Thanks to the forward-looking planning of the memorial site, this year's celebrations were not dominated by noisy speakers from other groups and the event was a dignified act.
This year too, we have reminded women of their love and desire, even in times of dictatorship and the extreme conditions in the concentration camp. As in previous years, the event was partly multilingual. This pleases and especially with regard to the different nationalities, which suffered in the former concentration camp Ravensbrück and Uckermark.
The speakers were M. Lüttig and V. Dehle-Thälmann in 2019, both of whom gave strength and fellowship to the event through their combative, compassionate speech.
In November - as every year - the Advisory Board of the Foundation meets again. We hope to be able to end the dispute next year for an appreciation of the victims and to be able to lay down the memorial ball permanently on the grounds of the Ravensbrück Memorial.
It is therefore again by presence, publicity and joint opinion to give the application enough weight to convince the committees. Therefore, we ask you to bring the commemorative ball for the Ravensbrück Memorial to the public and fight again with us for the recognition of lesbian life as a visible part of the past and future.
FOR INTERESTS: The bibliography compiled by Anna Hájková concentrates focus on the study of women by the National Socialists were persecuted as lesbians and transgender.
Bibliography Sexuality and the Holocaust
Interview im Tagesspiegel
------ April 2018 ------
Dear friends, lesbians and supporters, on the state of affairs:
After Hr Morsch, Hr Lutz, Hr Zinn and two other representatives from the LSVD had written a new proposal for the inscription in March 2018 without the initiative being involved, the initiative reiterated the motion. The circulation procedure that Mr. Morsch had initiated was suspended. At the moment there is a dispute over the inscription. The initiative wants an inscription that comes from an attitude of making worthy commemoration and remembrance possible for the lesbian women who were persecuted and murdered. An inscription that puts lesbian women in the spotlight. Not an inscription that speaks of the attitude of agreeing to the lesser evil, if it could not be prevented. Although the commemorative ball is still not approved and it sometimes seems like there is no movement, there are also achievements: There is widespread support for the desire to commemorate the lesbian women in the former concentration camp Ravensbrück and even the advisory board has now approved the request. The special situation of lesbians in National Socialism and in the concentration camp has come into focus and persecution in the context has been re-examined and discussed. Scientists and activists have come to talk and act together. Patriarchal structures such as e.g. those in the LSVD Berlin / Brandenburg are questioned. The memorial ball has also brought the issue of lesbian visibility back into the public eye. However, it is a really tough process to set up a memorial site. No other request for the new memorial site has been negotiated for so long.
And this concern goes back to the 80s. WE CONTINUE !!!
----- Nov. 2017 -----
Dear friends, lesbians and supporters,
A lot has happened since the start of our application in the summer of 2016. We value the huge interest and the support as encouragement to continue on this path. Your signatures, the invitation to the symposium at the Sites for Memorial and Remembrance Ravensbrück in April 2017, as well as to the opening of the exhibition at the Gay Museum in July 2017 and, most recently, to the European Lesbian* Conference in Vienna, strengthens our determination, despite massive patriarchal opposition, to continue our campaign for a memorial plaque. The committee and the experts’ commission of the foundation for Memorial Sites in Brandenburg have repeatedly deferred the decision on the whereabouts of the memorial plaque. Individual decision makers, in particular the homosexual representative, insist on rejecting the memorial plaque on the grounds that there was no persecution and no such category as lesbian prisoners. The next decision will be discussed on 24th November, 2017. That is why we are once again requesting your support.
Please send protest letters by 15th November 2017 to the international committee, in person to the chair
Thomas Lutz, info[at]stiftung-bg.de and the Foundation of Memorial Sites in Brandenburg, in person to
Prof. Dr. Günther Morsch, info[at]gedenkstätte-sachsenhausen.de
to state your continued support for a permanent memorial plaque. Please send a copy to: gedenkkugel[at]gmx.de Here is a suggestion: Mr. Thomas Lutz, Mr. Günther Morsch Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, We request you, as the committee, as well as the representative of homosexuals, take into account in your decision the lived realities of lesbian women and girls and patriarchal power relationships and structures of persecution against lesbian lifestyles during national socialism. It is essential in terms of an academic and political debate to question a definition of persecution which is exclusively oriented on the categorisation of prisoners created by the national socialists and to expand this in terms of intersectionality. I/We support that, at last, a visible symbol and a place in the Sites for Memorial and Remembrance is created by a memorial orb which marks the persecution and murder of lesbian women, and those so accused, so that they can be remembered. For this reason I/we support a lesbian orb with the following inscription: In Memorial an all lesbian women and girls in the Women’s Concentration Camp Ravensbrück and Uckermark. Lesbian women were considered „degenerate“ and were persecuted and murdered as „antisocial“ and, among other things, as resisters and crazy. You are not forgotten! Further (mostly German) information, arguments for and against a memorial plaque, can be read under www.feminismus-widerstand.de and subsequent links.
Best wishes !!!
Autonomous feminist womenlesbians initiative of Germany and Austria Irmes Schwager, Lisa Steininger, Maria Newald, Wiebke Haß, Susanne Kuntz ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chèr-e-s ami-e-s, lesbiennes et supporteur*es,
Entre-temps, beaucoup de choses se sont passées depuis le début de notre application en été 2016. Nous apprécions le grand intérêt et le soutien comme un encouragement à continuer sur le chemin pris. Vos signatures, l'invitation au symposium au Memorial de Ravensbrück (Mahn- und Gedenkstätte Ravensbrück) en avril 2017, ainsi que l'ouverture de l'exposition au Gay Museum * à Berlin en juillet 2017 et plus récemment en octobre 2017 à l'EL *C (European Lesbian*Conference) à Vienne encouragent notre volonté de continuer à nous battre en tant qu'initiative d'une boule commémorative, malgré un vent de face patriarcal massif. Le ‘Beirat der Stiftung Brandenburgische Gedenkstätten’ (Conseil consultatif) et la Commission des expert-es ont jusqu'à présent reporté plusieurs fois la décision sur l'installation de la boule commémorative. Certains représantants, en particulier celui du groupe de victimes homosexuels, insistent pour rejeter la balle commémorative, affirmant qu'il n'y a eu aucune persécution des femmes lesbiennes. La prochaine décision sera discutée le 24 novembre 2017. C'est pourquoi nous vous demandons de nouveau votre soutien. Veuillez écrire des lettres de protestation avant le 15 novembre 2017 au 'Beirat der Stiftung Brandenburgische Gedenkstätten’, en personne Président Thomas Lutz, info[at]stiftung-bg.de,et 'Stiftung Brandenburgische Gedenkstätten’ (la Fondation commémorative de Brandebourg), en personne Prof. Dr. Günther Morsch, info[at]gedenkstätte-sachsenhausen.de, que vous (continuiez à) soutenir/soutenez l'emplacement permanent de la boule commémorative. Veuillez envoyer une copie à: gedenkkugel[at]gmx.de
Proposition de texte: Monsieur Thomas Lutz / Monsieur Günther Morsch, Mesdames et messieurs,
nous vous demandons comme 'Beirat’ (conseil consultatif) ainsi que comme représentant du groupe des victimes homosexuels de prendre en considération les réalités de vie des femmes et des filles lesbiennes, les rapports de pouvoir patriarchals et les structures de persécution contre les modes de vie lesbienne à l'époque nazi. Il est nécessaire, dans le sens d'une discussion scientifique et politique, de remettre en question et d'étendre une définition de 'persécution’, qui se fonde exclusivement sur les catégories de prisonniers créées par les Nazis, et de l'élargir de manière intersectorielle. Je m'engage / Nous nous engageons à veiller à ce que enfin un signe visible et une place dans le mémorial Ravensbrück est créé avec la Boule Commemorative », où la persécution et la meurtre des femmes lesbiennes - ou bien parce qu'on le leur a attribué - deviennentt visible et peuventt être commémorer. Par conséquent, je soutiens une boule commémorative avec l'inscription suivante: En mémoire de toutes les femmes et filles lesbiennes dans le Camp de concentration des femmes Ravensbrück et Uckermark. Les lesbiennes étaient considérées comme «dégénérées» Elles étaient persécutées et assassinées car considérées comme «asociales», résistantes et «folles», et pour d'autres raisons. Nous ne vous oublions pas.” En mémoire de toutes les femmes et filles lesbiennes du camp de concentration des femmes Ravensbrück et Uckermark. Les femmes lesbiennes étaient considérées comme «dégénérées» et étiquetées comme «ant -sociales», résistantes et 'folles’, et ont été persécutées et assassinées pour d'autres raisons. Vous n'êtes pas oubliées! D'autres informations - pour la plupart des informations en langue allemande - des arguments contre et pour une boule commémorative, peuvent être lues sous www.feminismus-widerstand.de Cordialement, Initiative lesbiennes féministes autonomes d'Allemagne et d'Autriche
----- Nov. 2016 -----
Nous appelons à nous soutenir pour l'installation d'un monument de commémoration des femmes et filles lesbiennes persécutées et meurtries dans l'ancien camp de concentration de femmes de Ravensbrück.
Depuis les années 80, il y a des groupes et organisations de lesbiennes, des historiennes et des activistes mènent des actions afin de créer un lieu de commémoration pour les femmes lesbiennes, qui ont été persécutées et meurtries, dans l’ancien camp de concentration Ravensbrück et dans le camp de concentration pour jeunes filles et femmes d' Uckermark.
Nous sommes un groupe de femmes et lesbiennes féministes d’Allemagne et d’Autriche et ces trois dernières années nous avons organisé des débats sur le thème "Commémoration dans le "Mahn und Gedenkstätte" ( mémoire et réflexion) de Ravensbrück”. Lors de la 70e commémoration de la libération du camp du concentration de femmes de Ravensbrück, en 2015, nous avons déposé une boule de mémoire.
Maintenant nous avons décidé de déposer une demande officielle pour l'installation d'une 'Boule de Commémoration'.
Pour cela, nous vous demandons de soutenir notre démarche pour concrétiser la réalisation d' une pierre commémorative pour les femmes lesbiennes persecutèes et assassinées à Ravensbrück. Nous aimerions montrer que nous sommes nombreuses à partager cette volontée et nous voulons ajouter la liste des signatures à la demande officielle. Le 19 mai 2016, le Comité International de Ravensbrück a décidé de soutenir notre demarche pour la Boule de Commémoration.
Si tu / vous voulez soutenir notre démarche, signez le texte suivant et envoyez-le jusqu'au à: Gedenkkugel[at]gmx.de
----------------------------
Dear friends and supporters!
Please support a memorial for the persecuted and murdered lesbian women and girls in the concentration camp Ravensbrück
Since the 80ies there have been several initiatives from lesbian groups and -organisations as well as from feminist historians, feminist archives and activists to create a place where to commemorate the lesbian women who have been persecuted and murdered in the women’s concentration camp of Ravensbrück.
In three consecutive years we -a group of feminist women and lesbians from Germany and Austria, have organised debates and meeting on “Persecution of lesbian women in Nazism –Information, exchange andremembrance” at Ravensbrück. At the 70thanniversary of the liberation of the women’s concentration camp Ravensbrück we laid a memorial stone for the lesbians persecuted and murdered in Ravensbrück.
We have decided that we will apply officially for the commemorative orb to remain. Please support us in our efforts to get a memorial for the lesbian women persecuted and murdered in Ravensbrück
We like to show with this call for support that this initiative is shared by many persons and organisations and we will add the list of supporters to our apply.
At the 19thof May 2016 the International Ravensbrück Committee (IRK) has decided at the annual meeting in Vienna, to support our demand for the installation of the commemorative orb.
Please support our initiative with your signature and write an e-mail to: Gedenkkugel[at]gmx.de
----------------------------
Care amiche e sostenitrici
Per favore sostenete il memoriale in ricordo delle donne e ragazze lesbiche perseguitate e uccise nel campo di concentramento di Ravensbrück.
Dagli anni 80 sono state organizzate varie iniziative da gruppi e organizzazioni di lesbiche, da storiche femministe, da archivi femministi e da attiviste per creare un luogo dove commemorare le donne lesbiche che furono perseguitate e uccise nel campo di Ravensbrück. Per tre anni consecutivi noi – un gruppo di donne femministe e lesbiche tedesche e austriache – abbiamo organizzato dibattiti e incontri sul tema della persecuzione delle lesbiche durante il periodo nazista.
Per il 70esimo anniversario della liberazione del campo abbiamo installato una lapide in ricordo delle lesbiche uccise.
Ora abbiamo deciso di fare una richiesta ufficiale perché la sfera commemorativa possa essere installata definitivamente. Abbiamo bisogno di dimostrare che questa iniziativa a il sostegno di molte persone e organizzazioni e vogliamo raggiunger la lista alla richiesta ufficiale.
Il 19 maggio 2016 il Comitato Internazionale di Ravensbrück (IRK) durante l’incontro annuale a Vienna ha deciso di appoggiarci. Se sei interessata a sostenere anche tu questa iniziativa, invia una mail con la tua firma del testo in giu al seguente indirizzo
Gedenkkugel[at]gmx.de
