Potsdamer Platz; or, The Nights of the New Messiah Ecstatic Visions

by Curt Corrinth, Paul Klee (Illustrator), W.C. Bamberger (Translator)

A frenzied German Expressionist tale of orgy as salvation in Weimar Berlin

Originally published in German in 1919, Potsdamer Platz was Curt Corrinth’s first novel to employ an expressionistic, frenetic prose and presented his excessive vision of free love. Inspired by the sex theories of Freud’s controversial disciple Otto Gross, Corrinth preached the sexual orgy as a means to salvation and universal copulation as a new world religion.

The book’s provincial protagonist, Hans Termaden, arrives in Berlin, where he quickly evolves from city rube to sexual messiah as he converts prostitutes and virgins into sensual warriors and frees men of sexual inhibitions. As word of his exploits spreads, people flock to his headquarters in Potsdamer Platz, turning all buildings into brothels. Police and army attempt to bring order but themselves defect to take part in the spreading copulation as Corrinth’s prose itself begins to fragment and melt on the page.

Decried in its time, Postdamer Platz can be read today as a portal into the cultural excesses of Weimar Berlin. This first English translation includes the original illustrations done by Paul Klee for the book’s 1920 deluxe edition.

Genres: Fiction, Germany

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1919

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Categorized as an expressionist novel—a short-lived sub-genre of the early 20th century—Potsdamer Platz’s so-called “new messiah,” mild-mannered Hans Termaden, could be seen as a country rube, who, upon arriving in Berlin, becomes overstimulated by the city’s hubbub and bright lights, and thus desperately horny. He meets a young woman whose willingness to strike up a conversation with him he mistakes as meaning he has sexual charisma, an assumption she disabuses him of by demanding money before sex. Despite telling him that “people need to get by,” he doesn’t understand why somebody would charge him for sex. Nonetheless, the act’s results upon Hans’s emotional state transforms her into, in his eyes, the Red Queen.

So addled by sex with the Red Queen, Hans decides, first, that his mission in life is to find women who would enjoy idolizing and having sex with him. Then, second, empathy allows him to assume that men might benefit too from a good orgasm, and so our hero wanders Berlin’s streets, pulling aside lonely men, promising to pay them to have sex with the Red Queen. He becomes, essentially, a philanthropic pimp, hiring women he pays to have sex with whoever shows up. Women who wish to volunteer their services are, of course, welcome, as the entire purpose of the enterprise is to have as many people as possible fuck as much as possible. Hans’s unstated assumption seems to be that, after initially underwriting the enterprise of sex, the vast majority of—if not all—people will insist on having sex as a matter of principle: Exchange of bodily fluids, yes; cash, not so much.

As world capitols are depopulated by citizens fleeing to engage in orgies in Berlin, male homosexuals, of all people, are angered by this behavior—even though the Messiah’s sexual revolution says nothing against homosexuality—and band together as the (unfortunately named) “black Uranians,” attacking heterosexual orgyists in a fit of jealousy (!). Outnumbered, the gays retreat but promise revenge, briefly uniting forces with the Prussian Army (also !). But upon encountering a platoon of horny women, the Prussian army drop their guns and pants. Foes defeated, nonstop world orgasm achieved, the Messiah ascends to Heaven. (Spoiler alert.)

An exercise in ardent, flamboyant kitsch that is quickly paced and imaginatively thorough. (The sex scenes not so much. The reader is assured, however, that the mated couples have each achieved magnificent levels of orgasm in private. In that way, the book is oddly modest.)

For more of my reviews, please see https://www.thebookbeat.com/backroom/...

[Morgan Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting concept that took me some time to really get into. The writing was over the top and sometimes read more like poetry so once I embraced that and understood the flow I ended up really liking the book. The words I read seemed to sweep me up. But even though I really liked the book, and that ending! I think as a reader in the 21st century I didn't feel the story was as free love as it could have been. All of the disciples seemed to be women who did the bidding of the Messiah. (It seemed the cult was full of women who preaching the gospel of free love would each night take up with men who came by.)But the strangest part was a short interlude in the middle in which a group of male prositutes, so angry by the Messiah and his teachings decide to attack. As I read this I didn't think that there was a lot of free love. It seemed odd that they were considered enemies when they all should love each other.

[Stephen Lazaro]

Difficult to justify honestly. I am a fan of expressionism and experimentation but there's not enough meat on the bone, and the florid style makes the sarcasm at play here a bit hard to hear.
The strangely homophobic bit in the middle is either a joke that hits flat or a regrettable gap in the author's libertarian sensibilities, but either way definitely took me out of the stream

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

The gospel narrative frame was interesting, and the idea of a sexual savior is titillating, but ultimately, the lack of description and/or a compelling voice makes even this very slim novella almost too boring to read all the way through.

[Lucy Granger · Rating 4 out of 5]

this books is probably the most unhinged, ridiculous thing i’ve yet to read. chances are it’s not really as unique as it feels to me as i simply haven’t read anything else like it, but that doesn’t diminish from how much fun i had just laughing at how absurd the whole experience of reading it is.

while i absolutely don’t agree with or hope to ever see the “new world” Potsdamer Platz fantasizes into being, i can only appreciate how invested Corrinth was into this brief artistic foray into the expression of ecstatic obscenity.

really, at its core, this can be accurately summed up as the most dedicated, convoluted, and shockingly flowery (the language is very poetic and biblical) manifestation of a perverted harem power fantasy i’ve had the dis/pleasure of seeing. even if i hadn’t read the introduction to learn that this book came from a period in the author’s life where he was involved in frequent cocaine-fueled sexual promiscuity involving a disciple of the laughing stock that was Otto Gross, frankly i could’ve guessed.

in concept this would typically just be gross to me, but it’s all in the execution here. it’s presented as the evangelical ravings of a disciple of this new sexual messiah writing out a gospel detailing how he managed to convert the ENTIRE WORLD to believe in his revelations of mass orgy as the path to salvation. and, i have to say, that approach led to some very evocative prose amidst all the absurdity. i was taken aback by just how beautifully written some lines were, then soon after was reminded just how self-indulgent of a work this is, it was a wild ride.

so, i simply cannot pretend like i hate it. it’s funny, at the time when this was published critics seemed to have such a lukewarm, blasé reaction to it according to the translator’s intro. i just can’t get over the idea that Corrinth wrote this in the highs of an ego-aroused cocaine bender thinking he’d made a groundbreaking masterpiece, only for people to read it and just shrug. it’s naive, saccharine, overly enthusiastic art that has become unnoticed and unknown, likely thinking itself to be earth-shattering at the time when it’s really just kinda funny. and i really like it for that.

could’ve done without the homophobic part in the fourth chapter though.

[W · Rating 2 out of 5]

This starts out decent enough but becomes onerous and really boring, especially part V. There's little continuity and it's too poetic in places. This seems like something someone wrote and then forgot to edit or review.

[Lance Grabmiller · Rating 2 out of 5]

A weird sexual fantasy in a deeply expressionistic style. Though the use of language is pretty fascinating, it didn't ultimately win me over.

[Dylan Rock · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange novella that sits somewhere between Dorian Grey in decadent and blasphemous content but Julio Cortázar "Hopscotch " in terms of style. An interesting read to say the least

[Victor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Troubling homophobia at the climax, sadly.

[Richard R]

I’ve spent a fair bit of this week around Potsdamer Platz, so accessorising my reading seemed in order. It’s an interesting enough product of the Weimar period, albeit tarnished by homophobia.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interessante Sprache und schöner Wortklang einer gerade damals provokanten Geschichte