Weimar Berlin: The Battle of Schlesischer Bahnhof
From my new Weimar Berlin tour! Get in touch to book it - I must make a tour page for it soon!
Crime was hugely significant in Weimar-era Berlin (1919-1933). The collapse of the old order under the Kaiser gave way to a new and democratic Germany, albeit with a shaky foundation. There was an explosion of culture and tolerance over the 14-year period, with Berlin becoming home to many gay-, lesbian-, trans-, and queer-friendly establishments, which I covered in a video with my talented friend, Dr. Finn Ballard.
The Battle of Schlesischer Bahnhof underlines the power of organised crime in Berlin. A group of carpenters building what is now the U8 U-Bahn (subway) line started frequenting a bar named the Naubur near the Schlesischer Bahnhof (now Ostbahnhof). Realising that they had a lot of big, strong, regular customers that were outsiders from Berlin, the owners decided to stop paying protection money to a local organised crime boss, Muskel Adolf (what a name!).
Adolf “Muskel Adolf” Leib was the leader of the Immertreu Ringverein. The Ringvereine were what kept Weimar Berlin’s underworld running. They controlled the bars, clubs, sex workers, alcohol, drugs and money that make this period fascinating on one hand, but dangerous on the other.
The average German wasn’t so excited about the rise of organised crime, nor were they tolerant of what they perceived as new lifestyle choices. When a brawl involving 200 people broke out on the streets of Berlin, leading to two deaths and the ringleader getting only a slap on the wrists, many people were pushed towards authoritarianism. The Nazi party spoke often about the moral decline of society, and events like the Battle of Schlesischer Bahnhof were used to gain popularity. The Nazis had around 2% of the vote at this time, but less than a year after the Battle of Schlesischer Bahnhof the Wall Street Crash of October 1929 would send German society spiralling. The Nazis would of course become better organised, and by 1932 they would become the largest political party in Germany, with over 1/3 of the vote in national elections.
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