Social responses to illicit sexual contacts : Hesitations in the prosecution of homosexuals, 1911-1960

A. Tijsseling

This paper is based a PhD project concerned with homosexuality and the occupation of the Netherlands by Germany. The project is interested in determining the influence of the nationalsocialist regime change, in 1940 when Germany occupied the Netherlands, on the societal position of homosexuals. Literature has been focussed on 'hard data' to analyse the repression and prosecution of homosexuality. Here, a more qualitative approach of relevant archive materials is probed, underscoring the importance of 'hesitations' and 'uncertainty' involved in the prosecution of homosexuals. The paper argues that moments of indecisiveness are valuable when it comes to understanding the societal position of homosexuals.