Berlin coquette: prostitution and the new German woman, 1890-1933

During the late 19th century the city of Berlin came to be known as the 'whore of Babylon'.

Out of this reputation for debauchery grew an unusually rich discourse around prostitution.

In 'Berlin Coquette', Jill Suzanne Smith shows how this discourse transcended the usual clichés about prostitutes and actually explored complex visions of alternative moralities or sexual countercultures including the 'new morality' articulated by feminist radicals, lesbian love, and the 'new woman'.