Albert Knoll
August Fleischmann - Der Seelenforscher.
Ein Vorkämpfer der Münchner Homosexuellenbewegung

August Fleischmann -The Soul Investigator.
A pioneer of Munich's homosexual movement

English abstract

August Fleischmann (1859-1932) was an important figure in the movement for homosexual emancipation in Munich. Fleischmann demanded the decriminalisation of consenting sex between men especially in his journal Der Seelenforscher (The Soul Investigator), which appeared in 13 volumes from 1902 to 1904. In the discussion about an adequate self-designated name for homosexual men, he coined the term Freundling (Friendling). Fleischmann's activities had been triggered after he was sentenced under § 175. Because of his long-time affiliation with Magnus Hirschfeld, Fleischmann was convinced he was entitled to a dominant role in the Munich homosexual movement. Other members of the Wissenschaftlich-Humanitäres Kommitee (Scientific-Humanitarian Committee) however challenged his ambitions soon. Fleischmann eventually surrendered in 1908 and stopped publishing in 1919 altogether. Afterwards Fleischman, whose rhetoric had always been rather ponderous, earned his living by selling nude photographs.




to the top     Invertito 9 survey