Queer Identities and Politics in Germany: A History, 1880–1945

by Clayton J. Whisnant

Germany in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries witnessed key developments in LGBT history, including the growth of the world's first homosexual organizations and gay and lesbian magazines, as well as an influential community of German sexologists and psychoanalysts. Queer Identities and Politics in Germany describes these events in detail, from vibrant gay social scenes to the Nazi persecution that sent many LGBT people to concentration camps.

Clayton J. Whisnant recounts the emergence of various queer identities in Germany from 1880 to 1945 and the political strategies pursued by early homosexual activists. Drawing on recent English and German-language scholarship, he enriches the debate over whether science contributed to social progress or persecution during this period, and he offers new information on the Nazis' preoccupation with homosexuality. The book's epilogue locates remnants of the pre-1945 era in Germany today.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Queer, LGBT, Politics, Germany, Sociology

400 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2016

Reviews

[Sophie (RedheadReading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to push myself through the first chapter slightly, mainly because it's been a while since I've read a properly academic text and it was very politics/name heavy, but as the book went on I really got into it. This book has really increased my knowledge on the political/scientific figures of this time, along with a whole host of other topics, such as lgbt+ printing presses, performers, contemporary scientific theory, and lots more. I particularly enjoyed learning more about the climate of Weimar Germany and how lgbt+ communities developed in this time. The book primarily focuses on gay men, but does also focus on lesbians, and occasional mentions of specific transgender people. Bisexuality as it relates to psychological/scientific understanding of homosexuality is occasionally touched upon as well. Personally, I really enjoyed this as it gave me everything I wanted, namely a deeper understanding of this time period, although I'm sure it's not without its flaws!

[Andreas · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5/5) A very well researched & well written book, but (as expected) it does tend to focus mostly on gay men, although there is a significant amount on lesbians too. I would have liked a bit more focus on Hirechfeld’s institute, as the book focuses mostly on Hirschfeld’s political work. What is also disappointing is that, other than two isolated paragraphs, the author failed to write anything about trans people, despite the fact that Hirschfeld played a big role in trans history. Overall an interesting book and a good introduction to the era, but it could have benefited from an additional chapter to cover these gaps.

[Mona · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this does give an overall good overview of 1880-1945, it was very centred on Berlin as well as on Magnus Hirschfeld, and in the latter's case mostly on his theoretical work, too. Of course, those would be the place/person with most information preserved, but I would have liked to see a little more diversity especially in regards to the queer scenes in other big cities. Lastly, I occasionally found the language very unclear when terms were used that, to my knowledge, had not been common back then without clear indication. All that said, it's certainly a great starting point on queer history of that time in Germany.

[Sara G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like it could have gone more in depth as well as width, though it does seem like a good jumping off point.

[letalnosc]

Bardzo dużo powtarzania w kółko jednej i tej samej rzeczy, ale i tak niesamowicie przydało mi się do magisterki