Sex, Decadence and Decay in Weimar Germany

Weimar Berlin was a peculiar place. It was where deep cultural pessimism after a crushing defeat in World War 1 existed alongside an intoxicating atmosphere of novelty and daring experimentation. Along with art and entertainment, 1920s Berlin became (in)famous as the sexual capital of Europe. This course will use the debates and dynamics concerning sex in this period as lens through which to understand the wider history of interwar Europe, modernity, democracy and totalitarianism. Its first half will focus will the history and historiography of Weimar Germany and Berlin in which films from the period will play a leading role. The second half of the course will zoom in on the life, work and sociotope of Magnus Hirschfeld, the gay, Jewish and socialist sex reformer who championed sexual rights in general and those of the queer and trans communities more particularly.

Content note: The study of History inevitably involves the study of difficult topics that we encourage students to approach in a respectful, scholarly, and sensitive manner. Nevertheless, we remain conscious that some students may wish to prepare themselves for the discussion of difficult topics. In particular, the course organiser has outlined that the following topics may be discussed in this course, whether in class or through required or recommended primary and secondary sources: fascism, racism, antisemitism, homophobia, orientalism, violence, rape, war, murder, Holocaust, nudity, sexualities (queer and straight), non-binary and trans genders, abortion, sex work, pornography. While this list indicates sensitive topics students are likely to encounter, it is not exhaustive because course organisers cannot entirely predict the directions discussions may take in tutorials or seminars, or through the wider reading that students may conduct for the course.

SCQF Credits: 40

Credit Level: 10

Year Taken: UG4

Not running in 2025/26