Heinz Fleischer

Heinz Fleischer was born on September 12, 1905, in Minden, Germany. Heinz bravely shared his story in the documentary Paragraph 175. Though he waited until the age of 92 to speak publicly about his horrific experiences, he chose to keep his last name abbreviated at the time to maintain some anonymity.

Heinz spent over eight years in concentration camps after being summoned by the Bavarian Political Police for violating Paragraph 175, the law criminalizing homosexuality. His nightmare began with a sentence at Dachau, but even after his release, he remained under Nazi surveillance. While having a sexual encounter with a man at a park, Heinz was set upon by a Nazi spy and arrested once again, this time sent to Buchenwald.

Heinz recalled that nearly all the gay prisoners he encountered were murdered. He was released just eight days before the end of the war, only to be forcibly conscripted into the military for a brief time. After the war, he worked in his brother’s shop and remained silent about the horrors he endured. The one person he longed to share his story with was his father, Richard, who had died during the war, a loss that still brought Heinz to tears at 92.

Heinz remembered the early days of queer persecution in Nazi Germany, when prisoners had HOMO or 175 emblazoned on their jackets, symbols that later evolved into the infamous pink triangle. His testimony remains a vital piece of history, ensuring the suffering of queer victims under the Nazi regime is never forgotten.