1871
Paragraph 175 — German Criminalisation of Homosexuality
Legal Discrimination
The unification of Germany under Prussian leadership led to the adoption of Paragraph 175 in the new German Penal Code, criminalising sexual acts between men across the entire German Empire. The law would remain in force — with a brief relaxation during the Weimar Republic and a devastating tightening under the Nazis — until its final repeal in 1994.
Impact & Significance
Paragraph 175 became one of the longest-lasting anti-homosexuality laws in Europe, directly leading to the persecution of tens of thousands of gay men, including during the Nazi era.
Reference Record
- Date
- 1871
- Era
- 1800s
- Sources
- 1
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Questions This Event Helps Answer
Q How did UK law criminalise homosexuality before 1967? Before 1967, English and Welsh law criminalised male same-sex intimacy through buggery and gross indecency offences, with punishments ranging from execution to imprisonment. Q What happened to LGBTQ+ people under Nazi rule? Under Nazi rule, gay men and gender-nonconforming people were surveilled, prosecuted, imprisoned and in many cases sent to concentration camps under intensified Paragraph 175 enforcement.
