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The Homomonument was designed to "inspire and support lesbians and gays in their struggle against denial, oppression and discrimination." It was built as an initiative in May 1979 of the Dutch gay and lesbian rights movement, with the support of groups in other countries.

The idea of a permanent memorial to gay and lesbian victims of persecution dated from 1970, when gay activists were arrested for attempting to place a lavender wreath at the National War Memorial on Dam SquareDam square in Amsterdam is where the Amstel dam was located, which gave the city its name. Here are located: The Royal Palace the Nieuwe Kerk Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum the Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky De Bijenkorf department store In the center of the Dam i in the centre of Amsterdam. The wreath was removed by police and denounced as a disgrace.

The Homomonument has three dimensions: a warning from the past, a confrontation with the present, and an inspiration for the future. This triangular theme is based on the pink triangle symbol, which was worn by gay men imprisoned in the concentration camps of Nazi GermanyNazi Germany or the Third Reich commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933 1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of National Socialism with Adolf Hitler as dictator. The term Nazi is a short form of the German and was later adopted as a symbol of the gay rights movement. Up to 50,000 gay men died during the Nazi era.

Although the Homomonument is often described as a memorial to the gay victims of Nazi persecution, it is intended to comemmorate all gay men and lesbians who have suffered, and continue to suffer, persecution in all countries and in all ages.

It took eight years to raise the necessary 180,000 euros to build the Homomonument. Most of this came from donations from individuals and organisations. The Dutch Parliament donated 50,000 euros, and the city of Amsterdam and the province of North HollandNorth Holland ( Dutch: Noord-Holland is a province of the Netherlands, located in the northwest part of the country. Its capital is Haarlem. Other cities include the country's capital Amsterdam, Hilversum, Alkmaar and Zaandam. Geography North Holland form also made contributions.

In 19801980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. Events January-February January 1- April 1 National steel strike in United Kingdom January 1 Changes to the Swedish Act of Succession creates Victoria of Sweden, Crown Princess over her younger brother January 5 He artists were invited to submit designs and a jury was assembled consisting of experts in the fields of art and design. The jury choose a design by Karin Daan , based on the pink triangle. With the triangle on the water as its central point, Daan expanded the design to make her work as monumental as possible without disrupting the surroundings.

As well as the triangle on the canal, which has a set of steps leading to the water where floral wreaths are frequently laid, there is a triangle on land 60cm high and a memorial triangle at street level. The three triangles--each measuring 10 meters (30 feet) on each side-- together form a larger triangle connected on each side by a thin row of pink granite bricks. This larger triangle measures 36 meters on each side.

The alignments of the three points of the larger triangle are symbolic. One points towards the National War Memorial on Dam Square. One points towards the house of Anne FrankWesterkerk, Amsterdam Annelies Marie “Anne” Frank ( June 12 1929 March 1945) was a Jewish girl who wrote a diary while hiding with her family from the Nazis in Amsterdam during World War II. Her family was betrayed and they were transported to Nazi concen, the Jewish girl who was deported to her death by the Nazis. The third points towards the headquarters of COC Nederland , the Dutch gay rights group founded in 1946Events January January 4 Theodore Schurch becomes the last person to be executed for offences committed under the Treachery Act of 1940 January 7 Allied recognize Austrian republic with 1937 borders the country is divided into four occupation zones Januar.

(COC originally stood for Cultuur en Ontspannings-Centrum, or Centre for Culture and Leisure, which was intended as a "cover" name for its real purpose. It is the oldest continuously operating gay and lesbian organisation in the world.)

On the triangle pointing towards the Anne Frank House is engraved a line of poetry by the Dutch Jewish gay poet Jacob Israël De Haan (1881-1924): Naar Vriendschap Zulk een Mateloos Verlangen ("Such an endless desire for friendship"). The text is from his poem To a Young Fisherman.