In Race, Ethnicity, and Sexuality, Joane Nagel talks about the role that the intersections between ethnicity and sexuality play in nationalist projects–that is, how they are used as groups define who is and isn’t part of the entity defined as “the nation.” Those who are part of the nation are part of “us,” and those outside it are the Other. She brings up the example of Nazi Germany. Clearly ethnicity played a huge part in definitions of nationhood as the Nazis saw it. But as Nagel points out, it went beyond that; individuals were also included or excluded from membership based on other characteristics, including sexuality. Specifically, homosexuals were marked as unworthy of inclusion and were also sent to concentration camps.
This image, found at The Pink Triangle, illustrates the intersection ethnicity and various categories, including sexuality. It shows the various markers Nazis used to identify prisoners.
The bottom row of seven triangles clearly represents different categories of Jews. The fifth column of triangles (they look tan but they were pink) identified homosexuals. The third column (blue) was for immigrants. I believe the first column (red) was for political dissenters, but I’m not certain. We see other specified groups of Jews in the three partly-yellow triangles at the bottom, as well as triangles for Poles and Czechs. I don’t know enough German to figure the others out.
It’s a great example of a nationalist project: we can visibly see here the clear effort to define some groups as Others and the way that both ethnicity and sexuality (and the intersections) can be an important part of that, and even mark individuals as multiply stigmatized.
UPDATE: In comments philoserine and xac offered translations. Here’s xac’s:
[Columns]
red: political
green: professional criminal
blue: emigrant
purple: Jehovah’s Witnesses
pink: homosexual
black: work-shy Reich (not 100% sure wether the meaning here is “rich” or “member of the Third Reich” – more likely the last one though)
black: work-shy
[I thought I read somewhere that black might stand for antisocial, so maybe work-shy was how they defined that?]
[Rows]
1. row (triangles) base colour
2. row: label for reoffenders
3. row: penal camp
4. row: jews
5. row:
yellow triangle/black bordered triangle: jewish race desecrator
red circle with white border: under suspicion to escape
grey ring: ?? prisoner
6. row: left: Example: political jew, reoffender, penal camp
middle: special campaign Wehrmacht (?)
7. row: Pole
Czech
Thanks!
And Zeitzeuge says that “Special campaign Wehrmacht is a deserter from the Wehrmacht.”
Comments 17
Marta — March 7, 2009
I confirm, the red triangle was for political dissenters (if you look at the image, you can read "Politisch" - that is, "political").
mordicai — March 7, 2009
Well, good thing we don't have programs targeted at denying people their rights based on their sexual preference. OH SHIT wait a minute...
philoserine — March 7, 2009
Across the top, the categories are: political, experienced/professional criminal, immigrant, Jehovah's Witness, homosexual, and then the last two "arbeitsscheu" means either unwilling to work or afraid to work, but isn't the word for unemployed.
Down the left side, it's the ground/base color, stripes for reoffenders/relapsers, dots for "strafkamp" which has something to do with fighting, and then Jews.
Hope that helps! This is my favorite blog ever.
xac — March 7, 2009
Labels for people in "protective custody" in the concentration camps
Top row (above the triangles)
red: political
green: professional criminal
blue: emigrant
purple: Jehovah's Witnesses
pink: homosexual
black: work-shy Reich (not 100% sure wether the meaning here is "rich" or "member of the Third Reich" - more likely the last one though)
black: work-shy
Left:
1. row (triangles) base colour
2. row: label for reoffenders
3. row: penal camp
4. row: jews
5. row:
yellow triangle/black bordered triangle: jewish race desecrator
red circle with white border: under suspicion to escape
grey ring: ?? prisoner
6. row: left: Example: political jew, reoffender, penal camp
middle: special campaign Wehrmacht (?)
7. row: Pole
Czech
Anonymous Coward — March 7, 2009
I cried a little bit when I saw this.
Dubi — March 7, 2009
Yes, but this is Nazi Germany - hardly a common case. I'm not one of those who get offended by the mere suggestion that the holocaust can be compared to anything, but I think we can all agree they were an outlier, rather than a good example of any general trend.
(In other words: Godwin, you lose).
Ellen — March 7, 2009
How can there be jewish jehova's witnesses?
Anonymous Coward — March 8, 2009
> How can there be jewish jehova’s witnesses?
I find that comment to be in poor taste.
Gwen — March 8, 2009
Ellen--
The only thing I can think of is someone they might define as Jewish ethnically, but Jehovah's Witness religious. Maybe? I don't know. It's weird.
I don't see what was "in poor taste" about that comment--I think it's a legitimate (though probably unanswerable) question.
zeitzeuge — March 8, 2009
Special campaign Wehrmacht is a deserter from the Wehrmacht.
Dubi — March 8, 2009
A. There are Jewish Jehova's witnesses - they see themselves as Jews who believe Jesus was a true prophet. They have a mission in Israel that is fiercely fought against by the established Jewish institutions.
B. Like Gwen said, the Nazis defined Jewishness by ethnicity, not by religion. Quite a few Christians with "Jewish Blood" were sent to the camps - even a couple of priests. So what people believed in never prevented the Nazis from labeling them as Jewish.
C. Why on Earth should that statement be in poor taste?
Migrant workers, the credit crunch & Nazism « A possie in Aussie — March 8, 2009
[...] Gwen at Sociological Images talks about how groups are used to define who is and isn’t part of the entity defined as “the nation.” Those who are part of the nation are part of “us,” and those outside it are the Other. She brings up the example of Nazi Germany, and posts this chilling guide used in concentration camps to determine the patches that different groups were compelled to wear. Concentration Camp Signifiers [...]
Marton Rovid — March 9, 2009
This is what you can find on the black triangle on wikipedia
Individuals deemed "anti-social" had to wear the black triangle. The majority of black-triangle prisoners were mentally retarded or homeless. But smaller groups of prisoners were also given this badge, including alcoholics, the habitually "work-shy," prostitutes, members of the aristocratic upper class and others.
Roma or Gypsies were usually classed with black-triangle prisoners, but at some camps were given a separate badge - the brown triangle - instead.
genderkid — March 10, 2009
Among lesbian circles, the black triangle is sometimes used to represent lesbians because apparently they were classified as antisocial (or work-shy) rather than homosexual. It's similar to the use of the pink triangle among gay male activists.
Nazi Racialization of the Jews » Sociological Images — December 2, 2009
[...] on Nazi Germany: comparing German remembrance of the Holocaust and U.S. remembrance of slavery, Nazi symbolism, Nazi celebration of motherhood, and this sympathetic memorabilia [...]
Rob Harris — January 12, 2011
Arbeitsscheu Reich appears to be a special operation begun by the NSDAP in April and June 1938.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aktion_%E2%80%9EArbeitsscheu_Reich%E2%80%9C