Florian Zabransky
EHRI-Fellow (01/2019)
An Intimate History of Male Jewish Sexuality, Emotions and Masculinity in the Third Reich
Sexuality, emotions and persecution of Jews in the Third Reich are inextricable linked. Nazis’ "sexual antisemitism", gendered humiliations in concentration camps or sterilisation were integral part of events in the process to annihilation. The investigation of male Jewish intimacy – i.e. hetero- and homosexual relations, diminishing sexuality, sexual barter, marriage, love, desire or sexualised violence – excavates gendered relations and analyses how male Jews experienced their intimacy in the Third Reich. In particular, the microhistorical exploration of acts of intimacy will demonstrate how sexuality and emotions are connoted with self-assertion, expressions of masculinity and agency.
Florian Zabransky is a doctoral researcher at the University of Sussex. In 2017, he was awarded the Clemens N. Nathan scholarship for his research on male Jewish intimacy and the Third Reich. He studied Sociology at Goethe University Frankfurt Sapienza – Università di Roma and Hamburg University. His academic interests include history of sexuality, gender studies, Nazi concentration camps and the history of anti-Semitism.