1. Introduction: the East German sexual revolution; 2. 'A bit of freedom': sex and young people; 3. Marriage and monogamy; 4. 'The dictatorship of love': sex, love, and state hypocrisy; 5. Gay men, lesbians, and the struggle for the public sphere; 6. The naked republic: nudism; 7. Picturing sex: East German erotica; 8. Conclusion: space for love?
This pioneering study explores the surprising extent and limits of the GDR's forgotten sexual revolution.
Josie McLellan is Senior Lecturer in Modern European History at the University of Bristol. Her previous publications include Antifascism and Memory in East Germany: Remembering the International Brigades, 1945–1989 (2004).
'An outstanding book - intriguing, illuminating, and offering
entirely fresh perspectives on East German society.' Mary Fulbrook,
University College London
'Myths about sexuality in East Germany abound, and Josie McLellan
takes them on. From adolescent sexuality to sexual contentment
within marriage, from same-sex desire to nudism and erotica, from
single motherhood to Stasi surveillance - McLellan offers a
well-researched and highly accessible account. Love in the Time of
Communism is an enjoyable and an informative read.' Elizabeth
Heineman, author of Before Porn was Legal: The Erotica Empire of
Beate Uhse
'Sexuality in the GDR has generated intense debate since the fall
of the Berlin Wall, especially concerning to what extent East
Germany's 'sexual revolution' diverged from its western
counterpart. Josie McLellan's pioneering book offers a fresh
account of the subject that goes beyond cliches and nostalgia,
showing how pleasure and politics were deeply entangled in this
authoritarian regime.' Paul Betts, University of Sussex
'… illuminating, perceptive and well-researched.'
waterstones.com
'Josie McLellan's intriguing and well-written study tackles … myths
and contradictory narratives, and considers the close, and at times
perplexing, links between politics and society.' The Times Higher
Education Supplement
'McLellan … delivers superbly on her promise of a rounded history.
Her book covers all major topics in the history of East German
sexuality. Each chapter not only examines its theme from above and
from below but discusses interactions between state policy and
popular attitudes. The book offers well-grounded multi-causal
explanations of developments. The result is a realistic, fair
portrayal of sexuality in the GDR that critically assesses change
and continuity over time.' Donna Harsch, German History
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