Sex and the Weimar Republic

Laurie Marhoefer is the Jon Bridgman Endowed Associate Professor in History at the University of Washington.

"Laurie Marhoefer has written an important book that will be of interest not only to those who work on twentieth-century Germany and on the history of sexuality, but that also offers a valuable background to German sexual politics today, where same-sex unions have existed since 2001, while same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption are still the subject of heated debate."- Katja Hausten (Times Literary Supplement, April 1, 2016) ‘This is a clear, beautifully written, and – unlike many North American books on German history – superbly edited book (German phrases, concepts, and names are error-free)…This valuable contribution should put to rest the long-lasting thesis that sexuality was responsible for the decadence of the first German republic.’- Norman Domeier (H-Soz-Kult April 2016) ‘Marhoefer’s book will be an excellent addition to graduate collections in German history and cultural studies, European studies, and history of sexuality… The book will also make fine addition to upper-division undergraduate courses.’- B. Boovy (Choice Magazine vol 53:10:2016) ‘In her highly original and wide-ranging study, Laurie Marhoefer makes a number of provocative and persuasive arguments regarding the character and significance of sexual politics in the Weimar Republic.... A multifaceted and analytically rigorous contribution.’- Kirsten Leng (German History, vol 34:03:2016) ‘In her excellent book, Marhoefer has certainly succeeded in drawing attention to what she calls the "complexity and ugliness" of homosexual emancipation. At the same time, she ends up reproducing a dynamic common in the field of gay, lesbian, and queer history.’- Craig Griffiths (H-Histsex November 2016) ‘Splendid study…Laurie Marhoefer encourages the reader to think carefully along with her, and one cannot ask for more than that in this engaging first book.’- Geoffrey J. Giles (Canadian Journal of History vol 51:03:2016) ‘Marhoefer’s interlocking theses are impressive for their synthesis and creativity… With her impressive research Marhoefer exposes a pronounced language of exclusion, at least on the part of some reformers.’- Robert Beachy (Journal of Modern History December 2017)

• Introduction: The Opening Night of the Institute for Sexual Science, July 19191. Homosexual Emancipation, Censorship, and the Revolution of 1918/92. Lesbianism, Reading, and Law3. Female Prostitution, Modern Heterosexuality, and the 1927 Venereal Disease Law4. Male Prostitution, Homosexual Emancipation, and the 1929 Vote to Repeal the Sodomy Law5. “The Third Sex Greets the Third Reich!” The RÖhm Scandal, 1931–26. The Politics of “Immoral” Sexuality in the Fall of the Weimar Republic and the Rise of the NazisConclusion: The Weimar Settlement on Sexual Politics