1897—Magnus Hirschfeld drafts a petition to repeal Paragraph 175.

1898—petition to abolish Paragraph 175 founders in the Reichstag (German parliament).

1908—Reichstag considers expanding Paragraph 175 to include women.

1929—a Reichstag Committee votes to repeal Paragraph 175 with the votes of the Social Democrats, the Communist Party and the German Democratic Party. However, the rise of the Nazi party prevents implementation of the repeal.

1935—Nazis broaden the law to cover any lewd act, even those involving no physical contact. Maximum penalty is increased from six months to five years. Convictions multiplied to about 8,000 per year (ten times the previous rate). The Gestapo transports suspected offenders to concentration camps (even if they had been acquitted or already served their sentence.) Between 5,000 and 15,000 men were sent to the camps and identified by the pink triangle. The majority die there.

1945—World War II ends. Concentration camps are freed, but homosexual prisoners are made to serve out their sentences.

1950—East Germany abolishes Nazi amendments to Paragraph 175. West Germany keeps them and confirms them through their Constitutional Court. Between 1945 and 1969 approximately 100,000 men are implicated in legal proceedings. About 50,000 are convicted (if they had not already committed suicide).

1957—East Germany ceases to enforce Paragraph 175.

1968—East Germany repeals Paragraph 175 and adopts a law criminalizing sexual acts between adults and those of the same sex under 18.

1969—West Germany eases Paragraph 175 to an age of consent of 21.

1973—West Germany lowers age of consent to 18 (compared to 14 for heterosexual sex.)

Late 1980s—Shortly before the collapse of the iron curtain, the East German government opens a state-owned gay disco in Berlin.

1988—East Germany repeals all criminal laws relating to homosexuality.

1989—Fall of the Berlin Wall. Reunification of Germany begins.

1994—West Germany repeals Paragraph 175. It now has an age of consent law of 14 years old.

2000—While homosexuals were not banned from military service, a lawsuit removed the “glass ceiling” policy which had prevented them from becoming officers.

2001—Legal recognition of civil unions in Germany. Berlin’s mayor, Klaus Wowereit, announces, “I am gay, and that is a good thing.”

2004—Gay couples are allowed to adopt stepchildren.

2006—Germany passes the Equal Treatment Act, including sexual orientation in its employment and discrimination laws.