Robert Ölbermann

Robert Ölbermann was born on April 24, 1896. Along with his twin brother Karl, he co-founded the Nerother Bund, a youth organization based in Köln. Robert was a filmmaker and author whose work focused on fostering a deep connection with nature and compassion for all living creatures.

A vocal advocate for queer rights, Robert once stated, “The greatest human injury to the state is to present same-sex love as abnormal, pathological, and punishable.” In 1936, he was arrested for being gay, along with 13 other members of the Nerother Bund, which had refused to conform to the ideology of the Hitler Youth. Robert had openly opposed the Nazi regime.

He was imprisoned for 21 months, and afterward, was sent to three concentration camps: Oranienburg, Sachsenhausen, and finally Dachau. Many members of his youth group were tortured. While Robert endured persecution, his brother Karl managed to escape to South Africa.

Robert Ölbermann was murdered at Dachau on March 29, 1941, at the age of 44. Decades later, his twin brother Karl was buried beside him at Waldeck Castle, the historic home of their youth group.