June 2023 Portrait of the Month — Albrecht Becher

Albrecht Becher

In honor of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, we have selected this portrait of Albrecht Becher as June’s Portrait of the Month. Under the Third Reich, homosexuals, specifically gay men, were heavily persecuted in pursuit of the Nazi vision of cultural purity and the growth of the Aryan nation. Section 175 of the new Nazi Criminal Code, forbade sexual relationships between same-sex couples. As many as 15,000 gay men were sent to concentration camps. Many more were arrested and sent to prison.

Albrecht was arrested for homosexuality and spent three years in prison. In 1944, he was drafted into the German army and sent to the perilous Eastern Front, which he miraculously survived. Watch an interview and learn more about his life.