Rosa Winkel Memorial

As the second memorial to commemorate the persecution of homosexual people in Germany, the Rosa Winkel Memorial was inaugurated in Cologne on 24 June 1995. It commemorates the suppression and persecution of homosexual persons during the National Socialist era, which in the worst case led to death. For homosexuals, the Rosa Winkel was the distinguishing mark in the concentration camps, where many were deported and died.

The location of the memorial was not chosen by chance. On the one hand, it is located on a route heavily frequented by locals and tourists, and on the other hand, the memorial is located at a former meeting place of homosexual men.
Until the Second World War, there was a urinal on the site of today's memorial, which was used for anonymous contact. In the post-war period, the destroyed towers of the bridge were used as a meeting place until the locations shifted over time.

The memorial stands in the context of the long, sometimes very painful and ongoing process of coming to terms with Germany's (National Socialist) past.