Kazerne Dossin wins culture prize for exhibition on homosexuality in Nazi Europe
The Kazerne Dossin museum in Mechelen and Mémorial de la Shoah in Paris have won the European Culture Award from KulturForum Europa for their exhibition Homosexuals and Lesbians in Nazi Europe.
KulturForum Europa aims to promote and encourage mutual respect and tolerance through culture and is committed to fighting racism and xenophobia. It gave its annual award to the exhibition for drawing attention to the extent of Nazi persecution and the wealth of subcultures in the gay community in the early 20th century.
“The exhibition takes up the challenge of saving this piece of history from oblivion,” the organisation said. “It starts from a scientific point of view in order to combat as many falsehoods and as much incompleteness on this topic as possible.”
The fate of gays and lesbians during World War II was long misunderstood. The exhibition brings to light their situation in Belgium, Germany, France and the Netherlands. It was created and developed by the Mémorial de la Shoah Holocaust museum in Paris, with the localised content developed by Kazerne Dossin. It has been extended until 10 March in Mechelen and has seen more than 21,000 visitors so far.
The museum, memorial and Holocaust documentation centre is based in the former Dossin barracks, where Jewish people, Roma, Sinti and other persecuted groups were held before being transported to concentration camps.
#FlandersNewsService | Prime minister Alexander De Croo during a visit to the exhibition Homosexuals and Lesbians in Nazi Europe on International Transgender Day of Remembrance, 20 November © BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE
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