Rudolf Käbisch

Rudolf Käbisch was born March 9, 1921, in Schöneberg, Germany. When he was just 18 years old, he was arrested. This happened on November 16, 1939, during the height of Nazi persecution of queer people. His crime was having sex with an officer from a steamship who was on vacation in Berlin.

Rudolf bravely refused to identify his lover to the Nazis, likely knowing the fate that awaited him if he did. Many others, under the brutal torture tactics of the regime, were forced to reveal the names of fellow gay men, leading to countless more arrests. The Nazis attempted to track down the officer, enlisting the Hamburg-based shipping company HAPAG to investigate as they were the owners of the steamship.

What happened to Rudolf after his arrest remains a mystery, no further records could be found.