Anita Berber: The Scandalous Dancer Who Shook Weimar Berlin
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Anita Berber was a dancer, actress, provocateur and general wild woman, whose life and career epitomised the wild excesses and turbulent creativity of Weimar-era Berlin.
Born into an artistic family, Anita’s early years were marked by instability and rebellion, setting the stage for a life that would be both sensational and tragic. From her early dance education in Dresden to her rise as a scandalous figure in Berlin’s cabaret scene, Anita’s story is one of dancing, drugs, nudity, decadence, and self-destruction.
This article delves into the life of Anita Berber, exploring her formative years, her tumultuous relationships, and the performances that made her infamous. We’ll cover her rise to infamy, her many partnerships both personal and professional, and the eventual decline that led to her untimely death at just 29 years old.
For those who want to immerse themselves even further in Anita Berber’s life and times, you can supplement your reading by listening to episode 12 of Pip & Jonny’s History Flakes podcast. In this live recording, Pip brings Anita’s story to life, discussing her impact on Weimar Berlin and the lasting legacy of her provocative art.
This is a wild one: enjoy!
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The Early Turmoil and Artistic Roots of Anita Berber
Anita Berber was born on June 10, 1899, in Leipzig, Germany, into a world of artistic vibrancy and personal turmoil. Her mother, Lucie Berber, was a cabaret singer, while her father, Felix Berber, was a renowned violinist and impresario. Despite the seemingly glamorous environment, Anita’s early life was marked by instability. Her father, known for his hedonistic lifestyle, eventually abandoned the family, leaving Lucie to raise Anita alone.
Faced with these challenges, Anita was sent to live with her strict grandmother in Dresden. Here, Anita’s personality began to show early signs of the rebellious and chaotic spirit that would later define her. Her behavior as a child was notably erratic; she was even known to exhibit violent tendencies towards her dolls, a peculiar foreshadowing of the darker aspects of her adult life.
Despite the turbulence at home, or perhaps because of it, Anita was introduced to the world of dance at a young age. Her grandmother enrolled her in a rhythm and dance school, which was part of a movement that sought to blend music with physical expression. This education was rooted in the Eurythmics system, an approach that was revolutionary at the time (and later gave its name to the famous 1980s synth-pop band!). It was at this school that Anita began to develop her talents in a structured environment, laying the foundation for her future in Ausdruckstanz, or Expressionist Dance.
Another of Weimar Berlin's notorious lesbian performers, Claire Waldorff
Want to explore Weimar-era Berlin?
Carbaret, street fights, crime, art, and sex! While most of glamorous old Berlin was destroyed in WWII, it still comes to life on this fascinating walking tour filled with wild stories and hidden historic sights!
Shaping a Dance Icon: Anita Berber & the Eurythmics School
The Eurythmics system, an educational approach developed by Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, emphasised the integration of music and movement, training students to understand and express musical rhythms through their bodies.
The Eurythmics method was a revolutionary form of dance education at the time, aimed at creating a holistic relationship between physical movement and musical rhythm. This was more than just dance; it was about embodying music itself, a concept that would deeply influence Anita’s later performances. Through this training, she honed her ability to express intense emotions and abstract concepts purely through her movements, a skill that became central to her career in Ausdruckstanz (Expressionist Dance).
In this environment, Anita thrived, finding a form of expression that resonated with her turbulent inner life. The training not only provided her with a technical foundation but also allowed her to channel her emotional intensity into her performances. This was a critical period in her development, as she began to understand the power of dance as a form of personal and artistic expression.
By the time she and her mother moved to Berlin, Anita was already prepared to push the boundaries of conventional performance. It was here that she caught the attention of prominent figures in the dance world, including Rita Sacchetto, a significant proponent of Ausdruckstanzen. Under Sacchetto’s influence, Anita began to explore the more radical and expressive forms of dance that would define her career.
A Rising Star: Anita Berber’s Early Career in Weimar Berlin
Anita Berber’s career began to take shape in the dynamic cultural landscape of Berlin during World War I. In 1915, Anita and her mother moved to Berlin, where she quickly became immersed in the city’s vibrant artistic scene. Berlin, in the final years of the war, was already a hub of creativity and experimentation, especially in the performing arts, which provided a fertile environment for a young and ambitious performer like Anita.
Her first professional experiences were in Berlin’s popular cabarets and revues, forms of entertainment that flourished during the Weimar Republic. These shows, which combined music, dance, and often provocative comedy, were perfect platforms for Anita to showcase her talents. Even though she was still a teenager, Anita’s expressive style and fearless stage presence quickly distinguished her from other performers. Although she was not yet performing nude, her early shows were already marked by a boldness and intensity that attracted the attention of audiences and critics.
Around 1918, as World War I drew to a close, Anita began exploring opportunities in the burgeoning silent film industry. She collaborated with Viennese director Richard Oswald, one of the era’s most significant filmmakers. Her highly expressive face and dramatic presence made her an ideal actress for silent films, a medium that relied entirely on visual storytelling. As well as appearing in several films during this period, she married and left her first husband, though the relationship doesn’t last long.
In addition to her work in film and cabaret, Anita also became a sought-after model for various publications, including Die Dame, one of Germany’s leading fashion magazines at the time. Her striking looks and avant-garde style made her a favorite subject for photographers and artists, helping to solidify her image as not just a dancer or actress, but as a cultural icon of the Weimar era.
By the early 1920s, Anita’s performances were becoming increasingly provocative, and her reputation as a daring and scandalous artist began to take shape. It would only get wilder and weirder from here!
Anita Berber by Alexander Binder, public domain, via Wikmedia Commons
Anita Berber: The Scandalous Queen of Weimar Berlin
Anita Berber’s life in the 1920s was a whirlwind of scandal, excess, and unapologetic defiance of social norms. In 1919, at a party in Vienna, she had her first major public scandal. Anita was dancing with another young woman, who happened to be the girlfriend of a notorious lesbian named Ellen. As the tension in the room mounted, Ellen began provocatively touching her girlfriend in an attempt to mark her territory. Instead of backing down, Anita, urged on by the crowd, stripped off her clothes and continued dancing nude, captivating and shocking the partygoers. This incident marked the beginning of her reputation for nudity in her performances, something that would become her signature in the years to come.
Around this time, Anita entered into a marriage of convenience with Eberhard von Nathusius, a wealthy screenwriter. However, this relationship quickly fell apart as Anita became involved with Susi Wanowski, a prominent figure in Berlin’s lesbian scene who would later become Anita’s lover and manager. Susi introduced Anita to a world where gender norms and traditional roles were openly challenged, further fueling her rebellious spirit. Their relationship was passionate and intense, with Anita embracing her bisexuality both on and off stage, much to the shock of Berlin society .
Anita’s performances in Berlin and other European cities became increasingly provocative, with nudity and themes of eroticism and depravity taking centre stage. She was not just a performer but a provocateur. Her personal life mirrored the chaos and intensity of her performances. Anita was known for her rampant drug use, indulging in cognac, cocaine, morphine, and of course, she consumed rose petals soaked in chloroethylene, just in case you didn’t think she was holding back.
Her relationship with Sebastian Droste, a fellow dancer, and her second husband, was as tumultuous as the rest of her life. The two met in the early 1920s, drawn together by their shared love of the avant-garde and their mutual penchant for excess. Droste, who was known for his own radical performances, became both Anita’s partner on stage and in life. Together, they performed some of their most infamous and shocking dance numbers, including a piece simply titled “Cocaine”—a direct reflection of their indulgent and destructive lifestyles.
Their relationship was marked by wild and often violent behaviour. One infamous incident took place in a Berlin casino, where Anita, in a fit of rage, threw a heavy ashtray at a croupier’s head. Droste quickly intervened, escorting her out of the casino before the situation escalated further. This was not an isolated event; Anita’s life was peppered with similar episodes of violence and scandal.
One of the most infamous incidents involving the couple occurred during a night out in Vienna. While performing in a club, Anita spotted a woman named Dolly Mainz, with whom she had previously had an erotic encounter at a party. This time, though, Dolly was there with her husband, the director-general of the Volksbank. Anita, ever the provocateur, approached the couple and, after some flirtation, invited them to join her in a threesome. They eagerly agreed, and Anita led them to the cloakroom, where she began rifling through the pockets of other patrons’ coats, stuffing money and jewellery into the couple’s pockets. When an elderly porter tried to intervene, Anita punched him in the face and threatened him with a hatpin. Despite the commotion, the couple bundled her into a limousine, and they all drove off together.
Anita Berber’s Final Act
The collapse of Anita Berber’s relationship with Sebastian Droste marked a turning point in her life, leading to further personal and professional decline. After Droste fled to New York in the mid-1920s, taking with him many of her possessions, Anita found herself increasingly isolated and struggling to maintain the energy that had once defined her.
In 1925, shortly after Droste’s departure, Anita married her third and final husband, Henri Châtin Hofmann, an American dancer who had recently moved to Berlin. Their whirlwind romance led to marriage just two weeks after they met. Hofmann was a stabilising influence on Anita, and together they embarked on a European tour, performing in various cities. However, their time together was not without its own share of scandals.
One of the most notorious incidents during this period occurred in Zagreb. While performing there, Anita was arrested for insulting the King of Yugoslavia during one of her performances. The exact nature of the insult remains unclear, but it was serious enough to land her in jail for several weeks. Hofmann managed to secure her release, and the couple continued their tour, but the incident further tarnished Anita’s already infamous reputation and led to a ban on their performances in several European venues.
Despite these setbacks, Anita continued to perform, but her health was rapidly deteriorating due to years of drug abuse and hard living. By 1928, her once-vibrant appearance had faded, and she was a shadow of her former self. During a performance in Beirut, she collapsed on stage, a clear sign that her body could no longer withstand the toll of her lifestyle.
Diagnosed with advanced tuberculosis, Anita was determined to return to Berlin. The journey was long and difficult, taking several months as she struggled with her illness. When she finally arrived in Berlin, she was admitted to the Bethanien Hospital in Kreuzberg, too weak to continue her career or her notorious lifestyle.
On 10 November 1928, at the age of just 29, Anita Berber died in Berlin. She was buried in a pauper’s grave in St. Thomas Cemetery in Neukölln.
Sources
This article was based on History Flakes Episode 12 , and adapted for this article by Jonny Whitlam.
The Seven Addictions and Five Professions of Anita Berber: Weimar Berlin’s Priestess of Depravity by Mel Gordon
Voluptuous Panic by Mel Gordon
Anita Berber – Icon of Scandal by Ilona Landgraf
Anita Berber: Femme Fatale of the Weimar Republic by Kelly Hill
