Gay experience in Nazi Germany

[Allison]

Hi there. :) I know this is a long shot, but does anyone know any (fiction) books about the experiences of gay men and/or lesbians in Nazi Germany? There are several notable nonfiction books on this subject, but fiction seems to be pretty scant. Bent (play), Aimee and Jaguar (play based on a true story), Walk the Night, and Behold a Pale Horse: Homosexuals in the Nazi Holocaust are all I can find, and the latter two are very obscure. Even if it's not the main subject, books with major or secondary gay characters are fine too.

[Sanne]

What an excellent question!
I can't think of any I've read personally that fit into this category perfectly, but here are some starting points:

Have you perused this list of Lesbian WWII Historical Fiction? And no doubt this list of Gay Romance in Times of War will also include some titles set in Nazi Germany.

I've also recently read two books which blew me away and which do deal with WWII, but not specifically with Nazi Germany during the war period. I'll mention them anyway in case you're interested:

The first is A Perfect Waiter by Alain Sulzer, which is set in 1935. The rise to power of the Nazi's is felt in this book, but as it's set in Switzerland, it's more of an underlying tension than the main attraction. I would recommend this one if you enjoyed the atmosphere in The Remains of the Day and would like to see that mixed with a (bittersweet) gay love story.

The second is The Hunger Angel by Herta Müller. This one deals with the aftermath of the Second World War. It's a fictionalized account (but based on a true story) of a young man who is interned in the Gulag after the sovjets freed Eastern Europe. Ethnic Germans were rounded up and spend years as prisoners as retaliation for the Nazi occupation. It's told in vinettes and recounts beautifully what the extremely harsh and dehumanizing conditions of the Gulag do to a person. In some of the vignettes the main character also comments on his sexuality, though it's not the main subject of the book.

I'll keep an eye on this topic, as I'd love to get some more recommendations for good LGBT hf as well :)

[Allison]

I've already seen the second list you mentioned, but not the first one! Thank you! And thanks for the recommendations as well. I haven't heard of any any of these and will definitely have to check them out!

[Marie Silk]

Maybe this one? (set in Amsterdam)

The Lover's Portrait

From the Amazon blurb:

"This amateur sleuth mystery describes the plight of homosexuals and Jewish artists in Europe during World War II, as well as the complexities inherent to the restitution of artwork stolen by the Nazis in the 1930s and 1940s."

[Cheryl A]

The Hannah Vogel series by Rebecca Cantrell has a LGBT theme running throughout the series. Although these aren't the focus of the main storyline, they do play an important part.

[Allison]

I've read the Hannah Vogel series and love it! Still waiting for that next book to come out. :( it was supposed to be released this year but that's clearly not happening.

[Elinor]

I highly recommend A Wake For The Dreamland which features a gay Canadian soldier as one of the three main characters.