The Historical and Political Implications of the Eulenburg Affair in the German Empire
Introduction
This report examines the Eulenburg Affair, a series of early 20th-century legal and social conflicts involving the inner circle of Kaiser Wilhelm II, and the subsequent sale of a porcelain vase associated with these figures.
Main Body
On April 24, the Lempertz auction house in Berlin sold a porcelain vase, estimated between €300,000 and €450,000, believed to be a gift from Kaiser Wilhelm II to Prince Philipp of Eulenburg-Hertefeld. This object serves as a material link to the Eulenburg Affair, a period of instability within the German Empire characterized by the Kaiser's reliance on a close-knit group of advisors who gathered at Liebenberg castle. These individuals, including Prince Eulenburg, maintained relationships described by historian Robert Beachy as neo-romantic male friendships involving homoerotic correspondence. Political friction emerged when critics, most notably the nationalist journalist Maximilian Harden, posited that this circle exerted undue influence over imperial policy. Harden specifically alleged that leaks from the Liebenberg group during the First Moroccan Crisis (1905-06) compromised German diplomatic positioning. In November 1906, Harden published an article in 'Die Zukunft' suggesting that Prince Eulenburg and his associates were homosexual, using the period-specific term 'warm' to imply this orientation and characterize the group as a corrupting influence on the state. This publication initiated a sequence of public trials and courts martial. A significant proceeding involved General Kuno von Moltke, who sued Harden for libel. During this trial, testimony regarding von Moltke's domestic attire and his marital difficulties was presented. Sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld provided expert testimony, asserting that sexual orientation is an innate biological trait rather than a behavioral choice. While Harden was acquitted, the proceedings increased public visibility of Hirschfeld's theories on gender and sexuality. Analytical perspectives from historians suggest that the affair exposed the internal fragility of the German Empire. Frederik Doktor notes that the event resulted in heightened homophobia and the conceptualization of homosexuality as a form of 'degeneracy,' which potentially informed the later tightening of Paragraph 175 under the Nazi regime. Furthermore, the press response included antisemitic rhetoric directed at Harden and Hirschfeld, linking homosexuality with a perceived lack of patriotism. The affair concluded with the social and professional ruin of Prince Eulenburg, who died in 1921 after years of isolation.
Conclusion
The Eulenburg Affair functioned as a catalyst for shifting public perceptions of the German monarchy and contributed to a climate of social division that preceded the eventual abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1918.