Homomonument, Amsterdam. Courtesy of Amsterdam Tourism and Convention Board
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Homomonument
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Homomonument
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Westermarkt's Homomonument was inspired by a symbol of persecution, the pink triangle the Nazis forced gay people to wear, which was turned into a badge of pride. It comprises three rose-toned granite triangles, one projecting out over the Keizersgracht canal.
The monument was installed after much thought on 5 September 1989 and stands as the world's first memorial to persecuted lesbians and gays. The pink triangle motif is taken from the triangles of pink fabric that homosexuals were forced to wear in concentration camps during World War II. It is also a place where people come to remember friends and lovers who have succumbed to HIV and ashes from the dead have been thrown into the canal from the monument. The persecution of gays at the hands of the Nazis bears extra significance as the house where Anne Frank hid from Hitler's henchmen is just around the corner.
If you're lucky enough to be in the Dam for Queen's Day (April 30), Liberation Day (May 5) or Amsterdam Pride (Aug) then prepare not for solemnity around the Homomonument, but a huge party...
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