The 19th Century Sex Industry
The 19th Century Sex Industry: Prostitution as Represented in Reigen (1903) and Das kunstseidene Mädchen (1932)
Grace Hall
Abstract
This paper examines the shifting social attitudes toward prostitution between the start of the nineteenth century and the end of the Weimar Republic, as reflected in Arthur Schnitzler’s play Reigen (1903), and Irmgard Keun’s novel Das kunstseidene Mädchen (1932). Both texts resist dominant negative perspectives on prostitutes, though they do so in different social contexts. Schnitzler’s Dirne (prostitute) possesses agency and is treated as any other character, thereby normalizing the social position of the prostituted woman at a time when they faced harsh social and legal prejudice. In contrast, Keun’s novel takes place during a time of improved conditions and rights for prostitutes, but shows a harsh reality operating beneath the optimistic guise of “sexual liberation.”
Social and legal stances on prostitution in German-speaking regions differ greatly between the turn of the nineteenth century and the late Weimar Republic, and literary representations reflect this shift in perspective. At the turn of the century, with rising moral panic and strengthening regulations surrounding prostitution, Arthur Schnitzler ventures to destigmatize it by portraying a prostitute who is likeable and has agency in his play Reigen (1903). In contrast, Irmgard Keun’s novel Das kunstseidene Mädchen was published in 1932, which in Germany was an era of sexual liberation, women’s rights movements, and improving conditions for those working in the sex industry. Keun portrays a prostitute abandoned by welfare movements as well as a woman betrayed by the era’s ideas of sexual liberation. Both authors use subversive, and diverging, representations of prostitution in order to critique era-specific ideas that people had about people in the sex industry, as well as what it was like to work in the sex industry. This essay will explore their portrayals of prostitution as well as the dominant perception of the sex industry in each author’s respective era. First, I will define the terminology that will be used. Then, I will explain the moral panic around prostitution leading up to the turn of the century and Schnitzler’s response in writing Reigen. I will then explain the changes to social and political perspectives on prostitution during the era of the Weimar Republic in relation to the character of Hulla, as well as the phenomenon of the ‘New Woman’ and the character of Doris in Das kunstseidene Mädchen.
The term “sex work”, coined by feminists in the 1970s, is commonly used to refer to many different professions and ways of earning money through the sex industry: from selling sex on the street corner to phone sex operators (Berg 207). This term has proven to be divisive, sparking debates of whether victims of sex trafficking or people who engage in “survival sex” in exchange for housing or drugs are included, whether the term “worker” suggests domination or a strong work ethic, and how to approach sex work from a legal standpoint (Berg 208–209). Additionally, some scholars and feminists argue that the term ‘sex work’ disguises the abuse that is inherent to work in the sex industry. Others point out that this term is not specific enough; the reality of pimped and trafficked women is so far removed from that of a modern woman who sells nude photographs online that a single umbrella term is ineffective for discussions of these groups. For these reasons, throughout this paper, the terms “prostitute” or “prostituted woman” will be used to refer to women who exchange sex for money or material goods.
Around the turn of the century, the time at which Schnitzler wrote his play Reigen, there was an increasingly widespread moral panic surrounding prostitution, largely driven by bourgeois women who were concerned about being confused with “false ladies”, as many cities became home to more and more prostitutes; the number of prostitutes in Berlin increased from 16 000 to 40 000 between 1870 and 1909 (Frevert 87), and estimates suggest that there were as many as 30 000 covert, or unregistered, prostitutes living in Vienna by 1904 (Prokopovych 233). These concerns, along with worries about potential medical consequences of growing populations of prostitutes, urged the state to introduce strict regulations. In order to escape persecution, Austrian prostitutes were forced to carry health cards and undergo mandatory medical examinations every three days. Those who did not possess health cards were subject to tough punishments, including forced labour (Prokopovych 235). These regulations were supported by upper-class and bourgeois populations because they served to alienate and humiliate lower-class women. By applying laws to prostituted women that were not applied to higher-class women, there was a clearer divide between the classes, which was a fortunate consequence for those who stood to gain from such a distinction. However, Schnitzler does not approach matters of class distinction and prostitution in Reigen with the severity with which these topics were treated in reality. Die Dirne possesses agency, and does not seem to have resorted to prostitution out of desperation or for lack of better options, as many women did at the time (Frevert 87; Evans 116); she is well-off enough to offer her services to der Soldat without initially expecting compensation, saying “Ich brauch’ kein Geld” when der Soldat says he cannot pay her (Schnitzler 7), and tell der Graf “I geh’ auch nicht mit ein’ jeden. Gott sei dank, das hab’ i net notwendig, ich such’ mir s’ schon aus” when he suggests that she should take a lover instead of having to sleep with everybody to make ends meet (240). Schnitzler does not portray the difficulties of the sex industry that most prostitutes of the era actually experienced. Additionally, die Dirne’s experiences are not portrayed as especially different from those of any other characters in Reigen. Many of the other characters gladly mix with members of other classes and treat sex as a commodity, not only die Dirne. For example, die Junge Frau and der Ehegatte seem to treat sex as a token of their marriage, rather than something they do out of any desire or love (87). Die Schauspielerin is a femme fatale figure and has sex with men when it benefits her: she stands to gain further employment in exchange for sex with der Dichter, and there are potential financial benefits for having a relationship with der Graf. Many of the characters treat sex as a commodity, which is in line with the behaviour of many Viennese people at the time; the idea of romantic love was seen as less and less possible, so many people resorted to sexual instead of emotional intimacy (Sanders 58). This means that prostitution does not stand out as something particularly notable or morally reprehensible. By treating die Dirne the same as any other character, as well as one who enjoys her position in life, Schitzler makes an effort to destigmatize or normalize prostitution.
Contrastively, in Das kunstseidene Mädchen, Keun shows a harsh reality of the lives of prostituted women thirty years later, when public opinion of the sex industry was less negative, and conditions for many prostitutes were improving. These improvements were due mostly to a growing movement of female social workers advocating for welfare for those they referred to as “morally endangered women”, rather than regulation, which controlled women and often prevented them from exiting prostitution (Marhoefer 82). These advocates wanted to improve living conditions for prostitutes, as well as help them exit the sex industry. They achieved these goals by establishing an institution known as the Hamburg Home where prostituted women could stay, develop relationships, and receive an education while social workers helped them to find jobs outside of the sex industry (Marhoefer 80). Another major accomplishment by the women’s movement was the passing of the Law for Combating Venereal Diseases in 1927, which decriminalized prostitution and allowed—or compelled—those infected with venereal diseases to seek treatment without fear of prosecution or medical debt (Roos 5–6). However, these forms of welfare and advocacy were limited, and did not help everyone. The venereal disease law ultimately ended up targeting prostitutes who worked in the public eye. While they could no longer be prosecuted for selling sex, they were often targeted by police and subjected to medical exams without reason beyond their status as prostitutes or often malicious and anonymous reports that they carried venereal diseases (Marhoefer 101). Another issue with this welfare advocacy, as Keun demonstrates in Das kunstseidene Mädchen, was that social workers’ exit programs could not help many of those in need. Doris’s neighbour Hulla, who works as a prostitute, has no choice in her profession; she is owned and pimped by her abusive boyfriend, Rannowsky. Rannowsky has four women that he pimps and beats (Keun 88), and none of the welfare efforts change Hulla’s living conditions while she stays with him. Even when he is sent to prison after beating Hulla to the brink of death, she is still unable to do anything to change her situation, as her condition is too bad to earn any money (120–1). Keun uses Hulla’s situation to show that, even as conditions for prostitutes improve and they become less militant, many women, often the ones in the worst situations to begin with, are left behind by welfare advocates.
Through Doris, the main character of Das kunstseidene Mädchen, Keun blurs the line between “New Woman”hood and prostitution. The “New Woman” was a concept simultaneously promoted and feared by men. It embodied the then-modern ideas of femininity: financially independent, sexually liberated, without sacrificing the qualities of a good housewife and mother (Hung 57). Men pushed these traits as the new feminine ideal to their own benefit: there would be less expectation for men to financially provide for women with their own income, despite the fact that women were earning 10–25% less than men for the same work (Hung 54). Women being “sexually liberated” meant men had freer access to sex and women’s bodies without resorting to prostitutes, as well as benefitting from the domestic and emotional labour provided by housewives and mothers. However, men were also intimidated by the “New Woman” because of her perceived intrusion into male-dominated sectors like sports, technology, and intellectualism (Hung 55). Still, the “New Woman” ideal was fashionable, and many women aspired to emulate it. At different points in the novel, Doris conforms to many of these ideals: at the beginning, she is employed and can afford to purchase herself stylish frivolities (Keun 10). Later in the novel, she behaves like a housewife while living with Ernst (183). Throughout the narrative Doris engages sexually and romantically with many men, like Rote Mond and a friend of Weißer Onyx, at times just for pleasure—or “weil er glatte Haut hat und ihr gefällt” (85)—and other times in exchange for money or gifts (13), and often for both. As her financial status fluctuates, she relies on men to pay her way through life to varying degrees. However, she strongly rejects labels of “Hure” and “Schwein” (85) and distances herself from the prostituted women she knows, saying that Hulla comes from “eine furchtbar fremde Unterwelt” (121). Doris is unwilling to find stable work, believing that she would be unable to make it anywhere through work due to her lack of education (183). Instead, she chooses to rely on various men to make it through life. Under the guise of sexual liberation, she makes herself vulnerable to men who can take advantage of her. By revealing this truth, having Doris sadder and more alone than she was at the beginning of the story, Keun critiques the ideals of “New Woman”hood and sexual liberation that were popular at the time.
In conclusion, both Keun and Schnitzler, though they do so in opposing ways, portray prostitution in their respective eras. Schnitzler attempts to normalize prostitution in a time where prostitutes are widely hated and mistreated, whereas Keun critiques sexual liberation movements and the shortcomings of the campaigns for welfare for prostitutes. In order to this, they give their characters various levels of agency and surround them with other characters who approach matters of prostitution and class in different ways; in Reigen, the characters approach prostitution casually and without remark, whereas in Das kunstseidene Mädchen, Doris feels sympathy for Hulla and disgust at the idea of prostitution, and actively refuses to acknowledge her own status as a woman exchanging sexual and romantic relations for money and commodities. The difference in these portrayals is revelatory of cultural perspectives of the times, which show how quickly opinions on sexuality, especially female sexuality, change. It also paints a picture of how German-language authors have used their work to comment on and challenge popular opinion throughout different eras.
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Grace Hall is an undergraduate student at Saint Mary’s University.
Picture: Frauen auf der Strasse by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain.
