Homomonument

When the Homomonument was unveiled on the Westermarkt on September 5, 1987, nothing like it existed anywhere: the first monument in the world to commemorate gays and lesbians persecuted and killed — under the Nazi regime and throughout history. Karin Daan's design, chosen in a 1980 competition, is quiet and exact. Three triangles of pink granite — the colour of the badge gay prisoners wore in the camps — are set into the pavement and canal bank, together forming one large triangle. Each point aims at a place with meaning: the National War Memorial on Dam Square, the Anne Frank House a few doors away, and the headquarters of COC Nederland, the world's oldest continuously operating LGBTQ organisation (founded 1946). One triangle steps down to the water of the Keizersgracht, where flowers are laid. The monument is woven into Dutch civic ritual: every May 4th, the national Remembrance of the Dead includes a ceremony here — queer victims mourned as part of the nation's mourning — and during Pride and King's Day the triangles become a gathering stage. What you see today: the triangles in the shadow of the Westerkerk tower, with the Pink Point information kiosk alongside for context, maps and a knowledgeable volunteer. Free, always open, and best understood standing at the canal-step triangle with flowers at your feet.