Wiemar Berlin 1920 - 1930

The 1920's was an era of monumental change. After the war ended in 1918, Germany were forced to sign the Treaty Of Versailles which stated that Germany was to blame for the damage and destruction caused by the war. The Treaty came with huge sanctions for Germany. Germany was forced to retrocede land that had been won during the War, this included Belgium, a country that Hitler would later fight for in World War 2. The sanctions also saw the German army get relinquished to 100,000 men. The sanctions set upon Germany in 1919 seemed so bleak until the 1920's came around.

 Although Germany were still paying highly for their actions; hyperinflation caused by the repayments to allied countries caused years of debt to Germany, this ended in 1924 when the repayments were decreased after many died of starvation. A movement was seeped through Berlin giving many optimism. A Wiemar Republic was created which ran from 1919 to 1933, earning the nickname 'The Golden Twenties'. During this time, art movements shone and became a way of life. Every street was filled with bars, clubs and cabarets. Technologically conditions improved as silent movies evolved into movies with sound. Art became a lot more expressionist as Art Deco came into full force creating masterpieces such as the Empire State Building in 1929. Flapper girls became more common with the androgynous look, dropped waist clothing and short hair. Literature, fashion, magazines all evolved becoming more exciting. All of the movements mentioned became everything that Berlin was about, which appealed to tourists all over the globe, including Christopher Isherwood who later wrote about it in his memoir 'Goodbye to Berlin'. 

Cabaret shows became popular with everybody loving the life of drugs, alcohol and sex, the life of anything goes! It's almost as if the 1920's was an era to let their hair down, quite literally, after the devastation the war caused. With such an intense way of life and self expression it would be questionable to have those who do not oppose to such a lifestyle. The Nazi party was already in force, persuading people of their ideals. The Nazi's were against many races, preferences when it came to sex and those of another religion. Anybody who was not seen as pure German blood in their eyes, would be beaten until the party came into full power in 1933 when the republic and lavish lifestyle ended. The end of the 1920's also saw the collapse of Wall Street which affected western industrialised countries including Germany. This is when Hitler saw his opportunity to attract suffering people to his promise of a better life which thus ended the Golden Twenties. 

Cabarett Der Komiker. Berlin. 1924. www.cabaret-berlin.com/?p=87