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.

List of IllustrationsList of AbbreviationsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction. Why Study Queer German History?1. The Birth of Homosexual Politics2. Scandals and Alliances3. The Growth of Urban Gay Scenes4. Representations and Identities5. The Politics of Homosexuality in Weimar Germany6. Nazi PersecutionConclusion. Gay and Lesbian Life after 1945NotesBibliographyGlossaryIndex