Exhibit explores persecution of homosexuals during Nazi regime

The Jewish population was the primary focus of Nazi persecution, but Roma (Gypsies), Poles, Soviet prisoners of war, Jehovah’s Witnesses and those disabled during World War II were also targeted.

The story of what happened to another targeted population, homosexuals in Nazi Germany, is the subject of the traveling exhibit, “Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals 1933-1945,” which is on display in the Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons on the Allendale Campus through February 18.

“The Holocaust was a catastrophe for humanity,” said Rob Franciosi, professor of English who helped bring the exhibit to Grand Valley. “The more we learn about the fate of many groups under the Nazis, the more we can understand why the Holocaust, even 70 years later, remains relevant to our times.”

The exhibition is free and open to the public. Various special programs and events will be held in conjunction with the exhibit. All of the events listed below take place in the Mary Idema Pew Library Multipurpose Room (LIB030):

• Jason Crouthamel, associate professor of history, presents “From Liberation to Persecution: Homosexuals in Weimer and Nazi Germany,” from 4-5:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 29.
• Film festival featuring: “Paragraph 175” (February 2), “Bent” (February 3),  “Out List” and “The Iron Closet” (February 4). All films show from 4-6 p.m. and will be followed by discussions with Grand Valley faculty.
• Author Lev Raphael presents, “Haunted by the Holocaust: A Reading and Lecture” from 3-4:15 p.m. Books by Raphael include, “Assault with a Deadly Lie,” “My Germany,” “Writing a Jewish Life: Memoirs,” “Journeys & Arrivals: On Being Gay and Jewish” and “Coming Out of Shame.”
• Ryan Bond, associate professor of modern languages and literatures, presents, “Connecting Past and Present: Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals and its Relevancy in 2015” from 1-3 p.m.

“Grand Valley has sponsored a host of co-curricular activities to complement our course offerings in Holocaust studies — lectures, readings, film series, even trips to Europe. We felt that the chance to share a national exhibition of this stature with Grand Valley and West Michigan would further extend those efforts,” Franciosi said. “Additionally, the university’s recent naming of the Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource Center made the focus of this United States Holocaust Memorial Museum exhibition especially appropriate.”

This exhibit and related programs are supported in part by The Joseph Stevens Freedom Endowment, which was established by Grand Valley in 1990 to fund lectures to promote the understanding of issues related to human freedom, including a special focus on the history and consequences of the Holocaust.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum exhibitions program is supported in part by the Lester Robbins and Sheila Johnson Robbins Traveling and Special Exhibitions Fund established in 1990.

For more information about this exhibit, visit www.gvsu.edu/holocausteducation.