This is a study of the intense, complex, and escalating debate over sexuality and sexual morality that roiled politics in Germany between 1880 and 1914. That debate was grounded in the rapid evolution and growing complexity of German society - the multiplication of cultural groupings, professional associations, and social movements; the emergence of new social groups, social milieus, and professions; the rapid development of the media and commercial entertainments; and so on. All parties involved understood it to be a debate over the most fundamental question of modern political life: how to secure both national power and individual freedom in the context of rapid social and cultural change.

'This volume provides a seamless account of primary voices grappling with sexuality and sexual reform in the Kaiserreich … Dickinson has provided a comprehensive, convincing, and beautifully written account of a most compelling and untidy debate.'

Catherine L. Dollard Source: The American Historical Review

'As a whole, this book makes a very valuable contribution not only to the history of sexuality and sex reform but also to the larger exploration of how public debates about individual morality and private reproductive and sexual decisions both drew from and informed discussions about the relationship between the individual and the state in Imperial Germany.'

Annette F. Timm Source: Journal of Modern History