Battle of the sexes in Berlin

Photo: Willy Römer, 1924

The photo shows a running contest on a treadmill : woman against man. Battle of the sexes in a Berlin café, 1924. At about the same time, Claire Waldoff (1884-1957), a popular Berlin singer of the 1920s, recorded a song about men being useless and about kicking them out of the Reichstag. Out with men, in with women!

 

 

Click to hear Claire!

Es weht durch die ganze Historie
Ein Zug der Emanzipation
Vom Menschen bis zur Infusorie
Überall will das Weib auf den Thron
Von den Amazonen bis zur Berliner Range
Braust ein Ruf wie Donnerhall daher:
"Wat die Männer können, können wir schon lange
Und vielleicht 'ne janze Ecke mehr.

"All through History, an emancipation storm is blowing. From men to microbes, everywhere the female wants to ascend the throne. Whatever men can do, we can do too since long ago, and a lot better maybe." (my own very free English version of Raus mit den Männern aus dem Reichstag).  

The recording is probably from 1926 and the lyrics are by the great Friedrich Hollaender, who composed music for productions by Max Reinhardt end was involved in Berlin's Kabarett scene.He was the author of the music in The Blue Angel, including the main theme, in English called Falling in love again.