From Weimar to Eldorado

The Rise and Fall of Cabaret Culture in Germany

Before the Weimar Republic: Germany in Turmoil

World War I left Germany reeling. Over two million soldiers were killed, and more than four million were wounded. The Treaty of Versailles held Germany responsible for the war, crippling its once-mighty military and demanding harsh reparations. By 1922, the cost of living had soared to twelve times its pre-war levels, plunging many German families into poverty.

Hyperinflation, labor strikes, and social unrest defined daily life. Disillusioned with their government’s inability to restore stability, citizens sought scapegoats to blame for the nation’s hardships.

Emergency Weimar currency worth $1 million marks.

Reshaping Government after WWI

In 1917, Germany’s military leadership, facing mounting pressure, handed power to moderate Chancellor Max von Baden and two Social Democrats. This strategic move aimed to shift responsibility for the country’s dire state.

By July 1919, a new constitution established a democratic system, allowing multiple political parties representation in the Reichstag (parliament). A president, elected every seven years, was granted emergency powers to reassure conservatives wary of democracy.

Amid economic struggles and post-war anxieties, Germany became a hotbed of social transformation. Like other nations, the Weimar Republic experienced a period of cultural exploration and changing norms, setting the stage for a turbulent yet dynamic era.

Chancellor Max von Baden. Courtesy of WikiCommons.

Cultural Revolution in the Weimar Republic

The Weimar Republic marked a time of cultural experimentation and self-expression as Germans grappled with the aftermath of World War I.

Democracy brought newfound freedoms, empowering people to explore and redefine their identities. Landmark films such as Nosferatu (1922) and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) emerged, reflecting the era’s creative energy. Renowned writers like Virginia Woolf and Franz Kafka spent time in Germany, while Jewish thinkers, including Magnus Hirschfeld and Albert Einstein, gained prominence. The Bauhaus school revolutionized architecture and design, and Expressionist painters Otto Dix and George Grosz left an indelible mark on the art world. Women also gained the right to vote, further reshaping German society.

Berlin, in particular, became a hub for personal and sexual expression. The city boasted over 65 gay clubs and bars, many featuring vibrant cabarets and drag performances. Magnus Hirschfeld’s Institute for Sexual Science, located in Berlin-Tiergarten, advanced LGBTQ+ rights and visibility. This progressive atmosphere drew both queer and straight audiences to participate in the city’s dynamic cabaret culture.

However, this cultural openness faced significant backlash. Hirschfeld, a pioneer of queer advocacy, was targeted by right-wing extremists and suffered violent attacks, even reading his own obituary after surviving a brutal beating. The vibrant and inclusive cabaret culture of the Weimar Republic would later stand in stark contrast to the oppressive policies of the Nazi regime, highlighting the profound social shifts of the era.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919)

Cabaret in the Weimar Republic:

A Stage for Liberation and Controversy

Cabaret, which began in the 1880s in Paris, flourished across Europe and became a defining feature of Berlin during the Weimar Republic. Characterized by unconnected songs, monologues, dances, and performances, cabaret was often satirical and critical of societal norms. In Weimar-era Germany, sex and politics dominated the cabaret scene, encouraging performers and composers to explore provocative and boundary-pushing material. Nudity became more common, with some performers gaining fame for their bold, nude acts.

The cabaret culture provided a platform for Germany's gay community to express themselves in ways previously unimaginable. However, this era of creativity and liberation faced criticism from those who believed cabaret undermined German morality and social fabric.

During this time, societal understandings of sexuality and identity were evolving. Although queer identities existed much as they do today, terminology and legal recognition differed. For instance, gay men, referred to as "homosexuells," were the only queer identity legally recognized—and targeted—by the Nazis under Paragraph 175, which criminalized homosexuality. Magnus Hirschfeld, a pioneering advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, collaborated with Helene Stocker to shield lesbians from legal persecution, as lesbianism was not explicitly criminalized. Despite this, lesbians were often targeted under other labels, such as "antisocial," "communist," or "Jew," rather than for their sexuality.

Cover art for Marie Renée Dumas’ 1924 novel “The Clever Maidens/Virgins: A Moral Tale from West Berlin.”

Cabarets in the Weimar Republic offered a unique window into the era’s cultural, sexual, and political dynamics—a vibrant yet contested space that would soon face suppression under the Nazi regime.

Exterior of Eldorado, the only known image of the club, 1932. Courtesy of WikiCommons.

Eldorado: A Beacon of Berlin’s Queer Cabaret Scene

Eldorado was one of Berlin’s most iconic cabaret clubs during the Weimar Republic. Above its entrance, the message “Hier ist’s Richtig” (“Here it is Right”) greeted patrons, signaling an inclusive and vibrant space. While Eldorado was distinctly a queer venue, it welcomed everyone, becoming a fashionable destination by 1929 and drawing visitors from around the world.

One of Eldorado’s signature features was the ability for patrons to purchase tokens to offer dancers and performers for a dance, fostering a nightly competition among performers for popularity. The club’s fame even inspired the cabaret depicted in the musical Cabaret.

However, the rise of the Nazi party brought an end to spaces like Eldorado. By January 1933, Berlin police targeted venues they deemed “depraved,” and Hermann Goering ordered many cabarets and queer-friendly clubs to close. Eldorado was raided and shut down in February 1933, its space repurposed as SA headquarters.

The Nazi Party systematically attacked Berlin’s cabaret and queer culture as part of its broader campaign to impose rigid social norms and eliminate perceived threats to its ideology.

Key figures and institutions of this vibrant cultural scene became direct targets of repression.

  • Born Claire Wortmann in 1884 in Germany, Claire Waldoff originally pursued medicine but had to abandon her studies when her parents divorced. Moving to Berlin, she embraced its vibrant, accepting culture and began performing in cabarets, adopting her stage name and a distinctive pageboy hairstyle. Claire's cabaret career took off in 1907, with her bold, boisterous folk songs about love, life, and defiance, standing out from the more demure performances typical of the era. Her popular song “Hannalore” explored themes of fluid gender identity and sexuality, reflecting her fearless feminist persona.

    Facing censorship and accusations of immorality, Claire fought back through her music, often defying attempts to silence her. She openly celebrated her relationship with her partner, Olly von Roeder, and championed women’s rights, even penning a song calling for women to take over German politics. As the Nazis rose to power, Claire faced increasing pressure. While the SA monitored her closely, her popularity shielded her from direct attacks. She eventually left Berlin to protect herself and others, including helping Jewish colleagues by altering their names.

    Forced to leave cabaret behind, Claire never regained her career after the war. She died in 1957, with Olly passing in 1963. The couple was buried together in Stuttgart. True to her declaration that “fear was never in her dictionary,” Claire’s legacy endures as a symbol of resilience and self-expression.

  • Born on May 14, 1868, Magnus Hirschfeld was a German-Jewish doctor and the first major advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. Based in Berlin, he founded the Institute for Sexual Science, where he championed the rights of gay and trans people, as well as women. Hirschfeld co-founded the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee, the first LGBTQ+ advocacy group, and tirelessly opposed repressive policies like Paragraph 175.

    Hirschfeld introduced groundbreaking ideas, coining the term “transvestite” and advocating for the understanding of sexuality and gender as a spectrum rather than a binary. At his Institute, some of the first gender reassignment surgeries were performed. He also provided contraceptive support to heterosexual couples and published works such as The Third Sex, a guide to Berlin’s queer spaces. His work offered visibility and hope to queer people, urging them to endure and support future generations.

    Active in Berlin’s cabaret scene, Hirschfeld was affectionately known as “Tante Magnesia” and was rumored to have performed in drag. The iconic cabaret anthem The Lilac Song was dedicated to him. Despite his contributions, he faced violent opposition from far-right groups and narrowly survived an attack.

    In 1930, Hirschfeld embarked on a world tour and never returned to Germany. After the Nazis came to power, his Institute was destroyed, its books burned, and even a bust of his likeness was publicly incinerated. Forced into exile in Paris, Hirschfeld lived there with his partners, Karl Gies and Li Shiu Tong, until his death in 1935.

    Hirschfeld left behind a legacy of courage, advocacy, and groundbreaking progress for LGBTQ+ rights.

  • Born in Baden, Austria, in 1873, Max Reinhardt began his career studying banking before pivoting to acting at 17. At the School of Acting of the Vienna Consortium, he caught the attention of renowned director Otto Brahm, who mentored him. Reinhardt’s naturalistic acting style shone during his performances at the Deutsches Theater.

    After discovering the cabaret movement in London, Reinhardt co-founded The Brille, a Berlin cabaret club. Its success led to the creation of his iconic venue, Sound and Smoke, which later became Kleine Theater. By 1903, he transitioned from acting to directing and managing theaters, founding the Salzburg Music Festival and taking over the Deutsches Theater in 1905. His innovative productions gained international acclaim, leading to global tours.

    With the rise of the Nazis in 1933, Reinhardt recognized that his cultural work would no longer be supported. In a satirical letter reminiscent of his cabaret roots, he announced his departure from Germany and moved to the United States. There, he continued to influence theater until his death in 1943. Reinhardt’s legacy endures as a pioneer who bridged the worlds of cabaret and theatrical artistry.

  • Born in Białystok, Poland, Mischa Spoliansky grew up in a family of musicians. After his mother’s death, his family fled anti-Jewish pogroms, settling in Dresden. Mischa’s passion for music emerged early, and by age ten, he was performing publicly. Following his father’s death, he moved to Berlin to live with his brother and study at Stern’sches Konservatorium, where he began composing and performing in cafés.

    Mischa’s talent caught the attention of cabaret icons Victor Hollaender and Werner Richard Heymann, who invited him to join Max Reinhardt’s cabaret as a pianist and house composer. Though the cabaret closed shortly after, Mischa adapted, creating radical and politically charged compositions that resonated with audiences. Notable works included Morphine, performed by the daring Anita Berber, and The Lilac Song, a queer anthem dedicated to Magnus Hirschfeld.

    A prominent figure in Weimar Germany’s cabaret scene, Mischa collaborated with leading composers, performers, and club owners. In 1933, he fled Berlin with his family to escape Nazi persecution, settling in London, where he composed for films and theater. Later in life, Mischa performed in Berlin twice more before his death in 1985 in London. His music remains a defining soundtrack of the cabaret era.

  • Born in 1899 to musician parents, Anita Berber discovered her passion for expressionist dance as a child, channeling her frustrations into bold, physical performances. After moving to Berlin in 1915 with her mother, Anita quickly gained fame for her daring and expressive routines. Her provocative style captivated audiences, and she worked alongside notable performers and composers.

    Following World War I, Anita transitioned into silent films, modeled, and publicly embraced her bisexuality. She performed nude in cabarets and lived a tumultuous life marked by drug use and volatile relationships, including three marriages. Her collaborations with dancer Sebastian Droste, though artistically significant, ended in turmoil.

    In the mid-1920s, Anita married Henri Châtin-Hofmann, an American dancer who brought stability to her life. Together, they toured Europe, but her career was marred by controversy, including an arrest in Yugoslavia that led to performance bans. Anita’s health declined, and she collapsed during a performance in Beirut. Diagnosed with tuberculosis, she returned to Berlin, where she died in 1928 at just 29 years old.

    Despite her fame and groundbreaking career, Anita was buried in a pauper’s grave in Neukölln, leaving behind a legacy as one of Berlin’s most provocative and unforgettable performers.

From Vibrancy to Silence: The Fate of Cabaret Under the Nazis

As the Nazi Party rose to power, Germany's vibrant cabaret culture faced brutal suppression. Many cabaret performers, composers, and patrons—often Jewish or part of marginalized communities—became targets of Nazi persecution. Some resisted, fled, or went into hiding, while others were detained and sent to concentration camps.

Prominent artists like Mischa Spoliansky escaped Germany in 1933, but many who remained were imprisoned. In camps such as Sachsenhausen and Dachau, detained performers were sometimes forced to entertain under harsh conditions. Westerbork, a transit camp, also hosted cabaret performances under its commander Albert Gemmeker, who exploited the art form he admired. These censored performances were often a cruel prelude to deportation and death at Auschwitz, Treblinka, or Sobibor.

Cabaret’s legacy endures as a powerful symbol of resistance and expression. It challenged societal norms, questioned political authority, and confronted antisemitism and Nazi policies. As a blend of art, identity, and defiance, cabaret exemplifies the enduring power of creativity to resist oppression and inspire change.

The Holocaust Center of Florida stands with the marginalized communities of central Florida.

We celebrate the diversity that strengthens our region. We proudly recognize and support local organizations dedicated to advancing LGBTQ+ initiatives and fostering inclusion, equality, and understanding. Together, we honor their vital work in creating a more just and caring community for all.

The Center Orlando

The mission of LGBT+ Center Orlando is to promote and empower the LGBT community and its allies through advocacy, education, information, and support.

Domestic Partnership Registry

Individuals can register as domestic partners in the city of Orlando to receive rights as partners, without getting married.

Equality Florida

Equality Florida Action, Inc. is the largest civil rights organization that is dedicated to securing full equality for Florida's LGBTQ+ community.

Pride Chamber

Dedicated to the business equality movement in the Greater Orlando area and beyond.

OPD Safe Space Initiative

Provides the LGBTQ community with easily accessible safety information and safe places throughout the city they can turn to if they are the victims of crime

One Orlando Alliance

The Alliance unifies "nonprofits, businesses, philanthropies, and government institutions working together to create a safe, welcoming, and inclusive community for all LGBTQ+ people."

onePULSE Foundation

The OnePULSE Foundation is a nonprofit organization that establishes and maintains a Pulse Nightclub Memorial and Museum and offers educational programs and endowed scholarships.

Orlando Youth Alliance

Provides a safe space for LGBTQIA+ youth in Central Florida.

Orlando Youth Empowerment Series

A collection of free events presented by the City of Orlando in collaboration with local governments and LGBTQ+ community organizations to empower Central Florida LGBTQ+ youth, community members and allies.

PFLAG Orlando

Orlando’s chapter of PFLAG, a national organization that supports LGBTQ+ youth, allies, and support systems.

Zebra Coalition

The Zebra Coalition is a network of organizations that helps LGBTQ+ youth (13 - 24) with homelessness, bullying, isolation from family, and physical, sexual, and drug abuse; they offer individualized programs for recovery and stability.

The Holocaust Center thanks Jim and Valerie Shapiro for their generous support for this online exhibit.