Der Einstein des Sex
The Einstein of Sex: Life and Work of Dr. M. Hirschfeld (German: Der Einstein des Sex) is a 1999 German film directed by Rosa von Praunheim. The plot follows the life of the Jewish doctor Magnus Hirschfeld, who was a sexologist and gay socialist. In 1897, Hirschfeld founded the first gay political group in history.
| Der Einstein des Sex | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Rosa von Praunheim |
| Written by | Chris Kraus Valentin Passoni |
| Starring | Friedel von Wangenheim Ben Becker Wolfgang Völz |
| Music by | Karl-Ernst Sasse |
| Cinematography | Elfi Mikesch |
| Edited by | Mike Shephard |
Release date | March 16, 2000 |
| Country | Germany |
| Language | German |
In the film three of Hirschfeld's closest friends are portrayed: Baron Hermann von Teschenberg, Karl Giese and Dorchen (a transsexual). They establish the first Institut für Sexualwissenschaft in Berlin in 1919 and try to keep the institute open during the rise of the Third Reich in the early 1930s.
Although inspired by Hirschfeld's life, the film is a work of fiction containing invented characters and incidents and attributing motives and sentiments to Hirschfeld and others on the basis of little or no historical evidence.
Cast
- Friedel von Wangenheim as Dr. M. Hirschfeld
- Ben Becker as Adolf Brand
- Wolfgang Völz as Polizeipräsident
- Otto Sander as Professor Steinach
- Meret Becker as Arbeiterin
- Monika Hansen as Gräfin
- Gerd Lukas Storzer as Baron von Teschenberg
- Olaf Drauschke as Karl Giese
- Tima die Göttliche as Dorchen
- Harald Glitz as Hochzeitsgast
- Ulrich Jackwit as Geheimrat
- Kai Schuhmann as Magnus Hirschfeld (young)