Paul Kufel

Last summer (2023), I embarked on a research trip to the archives of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. There, I uncovered the stories of many queer victims—stories I had never heard before, stories that seem to exist nowhere online or in books. One of those stories belongs to Paul Kufel.

Born August 8, 1913, Paul trained as an apprentice baker before moving to Berlin at the age of 25. In July 1938, he was arrested by the Nazis for being gay.

I was able to read the transcript of his interrogation, a harrowing document in which he was forced to recount every same-sex experience he had ever had. He openly admitted to being gay, stating that he had never been with a woman. When asked about his partners, he said he did not know their names. It is unclear whether he was lying to protect them or if he was simply telling the truth.

Deemed “unrepentant”, Paul was sentenced to one year in prison.

Beyond that, his fate remains unknown. No further records exist.