Although same-sex sexual activity between men was already made illegal under Paragraph 175 by the German Empire in 1871, Nazi Germany extended these laws during World War II, which resulted in the persecution and deaths of thousands of homosexual citizens.
Namun, aktivitas sesama jenis dikriminalkan oleh Paragraf 175 Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana Kekaisaran Jerman pada tahun 1871, dan kemudian Jerman Nazi memperkuat hukum ini selama Perang Dunia II dan melakukan penindasan terhadap kaum homoseksual yang mengakibatkan kematian ribuan orang.