20 German erotic postcards from the early 20th century

You should not think that at the beginning of the 20th century people were chaste and not interested in carnal pleasures. Even then, people exchanged forbidden pictures. Now, it may be funny to watch the "lewd" photographs of that time, but then it was a real breakthrough in the art of erotica.

Even in the era of the Internet and instant messengers, retro erotic postcards of the early 20th century continue to amaze with their uniqueness and surprise. At a time when curiosity for carnal pleasures was just beginning to wake up, erotic cards became a kind of bridge to the world of adult entertainment.

Thanks to the technological progress of the 19th century, it became possible to mass-produce postcards, which, coupled with the invention of the camera, formed a whole niche in the field of erotic art. Love postcards have become an inexpensive and accessible form of communication, giving rise to bolder and more daring images.

However, not everything was so simple. Under European law at the time, it was strictly forbidden to shoot "seductive images". Such restrictions, with all the desire for erotic art, led to the creation of "secret cards" that were circulated underground and exchanged secretly from the authorities.

Interestingly, despite social restrictions and moral taboos, erotic postcards brought a good income to young photographers. True, they were forced to use pseudonyms so as not to jeopardize their professional reputation and not to break the law.

In Germany, at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the attitude towards the body and its image was especially peculiar. It was in this country that nudism, the cult of the naked body, was born, and subsequently spread throughout the world. Representatives of this movement gathered in secret communities and held joint meetings and events in nature, demonstrating their naked body as a means of expression and a form of freedom.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, erotica has become commonplace in cinema and a new leisure for men. Pornokino arose at the very beginning of the 20th century. The business is believed to have flourished as early as 1904. Basically, porn was filmed in Germany, France and Latin America. In 1910, the first “indecent” German film “In the Evening” was released - and it was considered the most cruel porn film at its time: a variety of poses, close-up genitals and an unexpected ending - the film ends due to health problems in a man.

Nowadays, we can only smile when looking at the erotic postcards of the early 20th century, which at one time were considered the epitome of debauchery and obscenity. But at that time they were a real breakthrough in art and culture, representing a kind of revolutionary act of liberation from censorship and taboo.

These postcards are proof that the interest in carnal pleasures, erotica and pornography has always existed, even when society tried to suppress or hide these instincts. They are a testament to the courage of those who dared to resist traditional ideas and open the door to a new world of erotic art.

Erotic cards not only allowed people to exchange their feelings and desires, but also contributed to the development of an erotic culture in society. They not only captured moments of carnal passion, but also reflected the evolution of public ideas about norms and taboos, which we continue to destroy today.

Today, more than a hundred years later, pornography is already legal in Germany. The only exceptions are images with violence, animals or child pornography. This highlights how far the world has come in understanding and openness to erotic art.