The Queer History of Weimar Germany

Before WW2, Germany saw a brief period of conflicted social progress that allowed its queer community to become more visible than ever before. What was life like for the queer folks of Weimar Germany? Come learn with me about LGBTQ Germany before the Nazis, and the film star who appeared as the first on-screen sympathetic gay character: Conrad Veidt.

I'm on TikTok @ kazrowe

Sources:

Homosexuality and Comradeship: Destabilizing the Hegemonic Masculine Ideal in Nazi Germany by Jason Crouthamel

Sex and the Weimar Republic German Homosexual Emancipation and the Rise of the Nazis By Laurie Marhoefer

Gay Berlin: Birthplace of a Modern Identity by Robert Beachy

Queer Identities and Politics in Germany: A History, 1880–1945 by Clayton J. Whisnant

German Expressionism: Art and Society. Rizzoli New york

The Coming of the Third Reich by Richard J. Evans

Art in Berlin 1815-1989. High Museum of Art

New Objectivity: Modern German Art in the Weimar Republic 1919-1933 by Stephanie Barron and Sabine Eckmann

“Inhuman Acts of Lesbian Love” : The Lesbian Stigmatization Process from Weimar Germany to KZ Ravensbrück by Giulia Iannucci

Film Censorship in the Weimar Republic: Cinema Reform, Political Crisis, and the Rise of the Nazis by John Paul Mason

Among abnormals: The queer sexual politics of Germany's Weimar Republic, 1918–1933 By Laurie Marhoefer

Queer European Cinema: queering cinematic time and space by Leanne Dawson

The Seduction of Youth Print Culture and Homosexual Rights in the Weimar Republic By Javier Samper Vendrell

“The Agony of Love and Fear”: Nazism and the German Queer Community 1920-19451 Introduction: Breaking the Silence by Sydni Zastre

Cinema and Censorship in the Weimar Republic: The Case of Anders als Die Andern by James D. Steakley

Degeneration, Sexual Freedom, and the Politics of the Weimar Republic, 1918-1933 by Laurie Marhoefer

"We Too Deserve a Place in the Sun": The Politics of Transvestite Identity in Weimar Germany by Katie Sutton

Defining Identity via Homosexual Spaces: Locating the Male Homosexual in Weimar Berlin by David James Prickett

Caligari: The Story of a Famous Film by Liam O. Laoghaire

Conrad Veidt on Screen: A Comprehensive Illustrated Filmography By John T. Soister

Schaulust: Sexuality and Trauma in Conrad Veidt’s Masculine Masquerades by Elizabeth Otto

An Imagined Binary: The Exilic Body and the Host Nation in the Hollywood Films of Peter Lorre, Béla Lugosi and Conrad Veidt, 1930-1956 by Gabor Gergely

The Homosexuality of Men and Women By Magnus Hirschfeld

Magnus Hirschfeld and the Quest for Sexual Freedom: A History of the First International Sexual Freedom Movement By Elena Mancini

Indians, Jews, and Sex: Magnus Hirschfiels and Indian Sexology by Veronika Fuechtner

Render unto Cesare: The Queerness of Caligari by Alexander Doty

From "Caligari" to Dietrich: Sexual, Social, and Cinematic Discourses in Weimar Film by Richard W. McCormick

Conrad Veidt: From Caligari to Casablanca by Jerry C. Allen

From Caligari to Hitler: A Psychological History of the German Film by Siegfried Kracauer

Footage:

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

Different from the Others (1919)

The Man Who Laughs (1924)

The Thief of Bagdad (1940)

Jew Süss (1934)

Casablanca (1942)

The Student of Prague (1926)

Metropolis (1927)

Kino Film Archive

[nobodyofimprotance]

There's something weirdly sad about this. The fact that there was a time between the wars when Germany was incredibly progressive for the time, makes the rise of fascism incredibly tragic.

[ladybird]

fun fact: in the early 1900s the question "do you speak german" was a coded way to ask someone if they were gay lol (this was mostly a popular phrase in paris) so basically today's version of "do you listen to girl in red?"

[isabelateixeira]

Ah yes, the holy trinity of feminine characteristics: menstruation, backaches and depression

[SDOtunes]

Imagine having such an immense amount of "Fuck off, nazis" energy that you get personal hate mail from Hitler. Conrad Veidt, what a guy.

[nobodyofimprotance]

As a bisexual, I too want to one day be known for having spooky hands.

[nmtviola]

I would appreciate merch that says “What about the Bears Magnus, what about the bears!!”

[orangentage]

ahhhh as a bi german kid that is obsessed with history this is everyything ahh thank you. I feel like every german history beside the of the NS time is handled like it never existed. While its of course important to talk about the Nazis its also refreshing to see something different 🍂💫

[fightscrimewhilesleeping]

"It could happen here" but also "It could happen NOW." It's so tempting to see history as a straight line, to think things are always getting "better", more advanced, more progressive. But that's just not how it works. We are ALWAYS one generation, one decade, away from losing EVERYTHING.

[coreyparson]

Please do a video on Marlene Dietrich! She is such an inspiration and her role in Morocco was the basis of one of my Halloween costumes. As a proud bisexual, she is a huge inspiration to me!

[JadyLester]

I'm so glad to see Conrad Veidt's career so well highlighted. His influence is really permeating a lot of parts of gay and outsider culture. I'm probably joining throngs of Disney villain fans in jumping in defense of Veidt's hypnotically smooth and snakey Jafar. However problematic.
Johnny Depp WISHED he was Conrad Veidt.

[MrMrRadiergummi]

As a queer German it's so good to see something like this! In school I learned a lot about the German history between 1914 and 1939, especially everything about the third Reich, but never anything about queer history! Really makes me want to look into it more myself. Thanks for this great video!

[BeautifulMutant]

There's actually an anecdote I came across about why Conrad Veidt's first wife, Gussy Holl, decided to get a divorce. Apparently, the final nail in the coffin was when Gussy came home from work one night and found Conrad wearing her new dress which had just arrived from Paris.

[mercilessaphrodite]

Germany has sooo much history before the Nazis

[kylebatt]

Every time I see Kaz has post I get excited. What funky, gay history lesson are we learning today?

[officaldungeons]

Personal hate mail from Hitler is such a big flex

[paperkay]

Connie! We love Connie. It feels so weird having an interest in a guy in a role from literally 100 years ago.

[alannacrow]

My first true history love was Weimar Berlin, still have boxes of books on the subject- this makes me very happy :-) Thank you for all your videos, can't wait for your book!

[jimjam]

Your last point is so true. My Great-grandfather was in the SS. My great grandparents were all complacent or actively fought in WW2 but my family mostly doesn't make an effort to examine what they've done. People my age tell jokes about the Holocaust and trivialize it. Nazi Germany is in the process of fading into history, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't still impact our society today. It's so important to talk about responsibility and educate people about the Holocaust. (Great video btw, I love Conrad Veidt💗)

[IlastarothTayre]

As a bi, old cinema loving European I am absolutely in love with this video. Dr Caligari is one of my favourite silent films and I've always loved Cesare, but I didn't know about Conrad being bi, or his efforts against nazis. Love him even more now.

[quinnwisniewski]

My great grandparents (my opa and oma) were Holocaust survivors, the only thing that saved my opa was him converting to Christianity in college (he was going to be a Rabi, as that side of the family has a long and rich history of every man becoming and being a Rabi), so the nazis killed his family in front of him, forcing his eyes open the entire time.
My other opa and oma were fighting for the Dutch, my opa built double layered coffins to smuggle the Jewish under a dead body during both day and night as my oma hid, protected, and sheltered anyone and everyone she could.
It doesn't help that I have blue/green eyes and blond hair, learning about the Holocaust in school just had other classmates look at me like I myself was a nazi, it hurt because I was a quiet and shy kid who was scared to speak up in class and eventually getting in trouble for talking when the teacher was.