Memorial to gay and lesbian victims of National Socialism

The site was chosen for its historical significance: Traditionally, the bridge was a popular meeting place for gay men who wanted to have anonymous sexual contacts.

The official applicant was the Federation of German Trade Unions' Cologne chapter, backed publicly by various individuals and organizations.

Eleven design proposals were submitted, and an independent jury decided unanimously in 1994 in favour of Achim Zinkann, a sculptor from Rostock who had taught art and history at the University of Siegen.

The opening ceremony took place on 24 June 1995, coinciding both with Cologne's gay pride celebration and with the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Germany from Nazi rule.

Its shape is similar to the pink triangle used by the Nazis to identify gay men in concentration camps.

Engraving on the memorial.
A view of the Rhine and the Hohenzollern Bridge from the memorial.