Berlin’s Third Sex

In 1904, Berlin did not exactly look like a haven of tolerance. Sex between consenting males and gender non-conformity were illegal, and other forms of sexual expression faced oppressive societal taboos. But despite fear, secrecy, and blackmail, Germany's imperial capital nurtured a vibrant and diverse queer subculture. , German sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld offers a sympathetic glimpse into this queer life, depicting spaces such as gyms, bars, cafes, aristocratic drawing rooms, and tenement apartments that drew the "third sex" exiles from contemporary gender and sexual norms. Intimate, striking, and surprisingly sentimental, Hirschfeld's account takes us from drag king cavaliers at all-night lesbian balls to "uranian" men darning socks for their soldier sweethearts, and from cigar-smoking trans men to sex workers in moonlit parks. Hirschfeld reveals vast networks of clandestine connections: coded vernacular, camp aliases inspired by pop culture, encrypted classified ads, and even a pre-Grindr telegraphic service for summoning temporary companions. Featuring extensive notes, an informative afterword, and an earlier pamphlet on same-sex attraction by Hirschfeld, this volume is of crucial importance for students, scholars, and readers interested in queer history.