Karls-Lounge

Karls-Lounge

Gay Bar

A somewhat exclusive establishment that stands out for a multitude of reasons, Karls-Lounge was known for the demographic it pandered to: teenage "line-boys", often coming in to unwind while still in nautical uniform. In league with this, the waiters were aging men and women often dressed in similar uniform, or as ship captains. The second factor that rendered Karls-Lounge so unique was its menu: despite being lumped in with gay bars, Karls-Lounge did not serve alcohol, given the amount of underage clientele it brought in. However, popular party drugs of the era such as cocaine and morphine were completely unprohibited, often used openly at the tables.

Valerie Tumbleson

Perrottet, Tony. “Weimar Club-Hopping.” The Smart Set, 19 Apr. 2009, www.thesmartset.com/article04190901/.
Gordon, Mel. Voluptuous Panic : The Erotic World of Weimar Berlin, 2008, monoskop.org/images/4/44/Gordon_Mel_Voluptuous_Panic_2006.pdf.

1921-1926

Institution

Karlstrasse 5 / Reinhardtstraße 5