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"Liberation Zone Eldorado in Berlin where sexual minorities gathered... Nazis created 'pink lists' for their extermination

Documentary 'Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hate' -Netflix

In the 1920s, Berlin, Germany, was a paradise for sexual minorities. Various clubs for them were thriving. The most famous and crowded place was 'Eldorado'. The sign at the entrance of the establishment read 'Everything is right here'. Eldorado was a liberation zone for those who were not accepted for their differences by society. They also benefited from the free and liberal social atmosphere. The Weimar Republic had adopted one of the most democratic constitutions in the world at that time.

Eldorado club in Berlin was a liberation zone for sexual minorities in Germany from the 1920s to 1930s, until the Nazis seized power. Provided by Netflix

① A time more tolerant than ever

Berlin was brimming with an experimental spirit towards sexuality. Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld established a research institute to advocate for sexual diversity. Not only homosexuals, but also transgender people flocked to Berlin. Hirschfeld's institute became a cradle for sexual minorities, even performing sex reassignment surgeries. While women or men walking in the attire of the opposite sex were arrested for obscenity, those who had a pass approved by Dr. Hirschfeld were exempt. The reason was that they were 'under treatment' at the institute. The press even interviewed and reported on transgender and homosexual couples. With an unprecedented tolerance towards sexuality, Eldorado could only flourish.

The heyday didn't last long. The Nazis began to seize control of Germany. The Nazis extremely despised sexual minorities, seeing them as obstacles to the reproduction of pure-blooded Aryans. Jewish sexual minorities were even more oppressed. Dr. Hirschfeld was a Jew.

Before the Nazis seized power, sexual minorities freely roamed the streets of Berlin, but they soon faced persecution. Provided by Netflix.

② The Nazis did not leave them alone

Ernst Rohm (1887~1934), the commander of the Nazi Stormtrooper (SA) consisting of millions of young men, was a regular at Eldorado. The fact that Rohm was a homosexual was an open secret within the Nazi party. However, Rohm was exempted from the persecution of sexual minorities because he was close enough to Adolf Hitler (1889~1945) to be called a friend. Famous tennis player Gottfried von Cramm was also not persecuted. He had homosexual lovers while visiting Eldorado with his wife, but the Nazis turned a blind eye. Cramm was a blond-haired, blue-eyed typical Aryan. If he won in international competitions, it would naturally promote the superiority of the German race.

③ Tragedies continued even after the Nazis stepped down

The Nazi persecution was ruthless. They arrested sexual minorities based on the 'pink list' compiled before they seized power. Sexual minorities were forced into the hardest labor in concentration camps. Many starved to death. The documentary recreates various aspects of the era based on the stories of a few who enjoyed their love while visiting Eldorado in the 1920s and 1930s. Stories of Cramm, who eventually could not avoid punishment after making anti-Nazi remarks overseas; Rohm, who enjoyed power but ultimately was killed in the whirlpool of power struggles; and the transgender couple who had to part forever due to the unfortunate era, continue.

Documentary 'Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hate'

There are countless films and dramas depicting the violence of Nazi Germany. However, this documentary has a different meaning in that it looks at the era through the lens of sexual minorities. It eloquently demonstrates how oppressive power works even more cruelly on minorities. The law punishing homosexuality created by the Nazis was not abolished even after the end of World War II. Tennis player Cramm also became one of the victims. It wasn't until the 1990s that the punishment for homosexuality completely disappeared in Germany. The emergence of the far-right political force, the Nazis, from the progressive 1920s Germany is an irony of history.

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