Die Schattenseite des Regenbogens, Cautionary monument at Theater Meadow, Darmstadt, Germany

Die Schattenseite des Regenbogens is a walk-through memorial on the Theater Meadow in Darmstadt, made of six concentric aluminum arches arranged in an L-shape. The arches rise just over three meters high and display rainbow colors on one side, while the other side has a silver metallic finish.

The memorial was initiated by groups including the Ecumenical Working Group Homosexuals and Church (HuK). A two-stage artistic competition followed: a jury chose five of 39 entries, and the public voted on them via the city's participation platform. The jury confirmed the public's choice, and the work was handed over to the public on 19 October 2022.

The title refers to the rainbow flag's reverse: one side of the arches keeps its bare aluminium finish, and the laser-cut inscription there reads "Im Gedenken an die Opfer des § 175 StGB". The memorial was initiated by the Ecumenical Working Group Homosexuals and Church (HuK), and Darmstadt's public voted on the shortlisted designs before the jury confirmed the result.

The memorial stands on the Theaterwiese in the Herrngarten, next to the Haus der Geschichte, on a pale stone strip set into a sandy surface. It is a freestanding structure that visitors can walk through, with a clear height of 2.30 m under the arches. The L-shaped footprint means the colored and unpainted sides face different directions, so walk around it to see both.

Depending on the position of the sun and the time of day, the memorial casts a heart-shaped shadow on the ground, recalling love and affection. This visual effect changes throughout the day and invites repeated visits to experience the play of light and form.