‘Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hate’ on Netflix, which was directed by Benjamin Cantu, truly lives up to its title in every manner imaginable while bringing us heartbreaking stories. This is due to the fact that it uses both new and exclusive interviews with historians and influential figures to emphasise the impact of the Nazis on the LGBTQ+ community. But for now, if you’d just like to know more about what happened to the three gay men of that era, Gottfried von Cramm, Magnus Hirschfeld, and Manasse Herbst, we’ve got you covered.
How Did Gottfried von Cramm Die?
had though Gottfried was an accomplished professional tennis player who had took home a few International Major titles in the 1930s, everything for him changed right before the war. The Nazis wanted to use him as a symbol of Aryan superiority since he was a tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed man, but he flatly refused to accept their worldview. Thus, while still blissfully married to Elisabeth Lisa von Dobeneck (1930–1937), he was briefly imprisoned in 1938 on account of his gay relationship with Manasse Herbst; she reportedly knew about and approved of the affair due to the trust they shared.
Although Gottfried had no idea at the time that the Nazis would forbid him from ever again representing his country in tennis because of this one mark against his name. After all was said and done, the 1952 retired athlete was presented with the Silver Laurel Leaf, the country’s highest sporting honour, by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Actually, we should point out that Gottfried briefly made headlines when he wed Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton in 1955, only for them to peacefully split up in 1959. On November 8, 1976, the 67-year-old tragically perished (together with his driver) when his automobile collided with a truck close to Cairo, Egypt. The Chairman-President of Lawn Tennis Club Rot-Weiss was visiting Egypt for business.
How Did Magnus Hirschfeld Die?
Due to his unequalled contribution to the subject of sexology in particular, the German physician Magnus Hirschfeld should only ever be described in one word: revolutionary. After all, the purportedly secret homosexual did more than just support queer rights; he also researched people’s behaviours, interests, and tendencies in order to benefit their community as a whole.
Therefore, it should not come as a surprise that Magnus founded the first LGBTQ+ advocacy-research group to ever exist, the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft (or Institute of Sexology/Sexual Research). This expert in philosophy, philology, and medicine is also credited for creating the World League for Sexual Reform in 1921 and the Scientific Humanitarian Committee in Berlin in 1897.
Unfortunately, the Nazis shut down Magnus’ entire institute in 1933 and ultimately drove him into exile in France since every aspect of his person and his work ran against to what the Nazis stood for. On May 14, 1935, his birthday, the 67-year-old Jew tragically passed suddenly there; the cause was a heart attack when he was inside his flat at 63 Promenade des Anglais in Nice.
How Did Manasse Herbst Die?
Manasse Herbst, who was born in Austria-Hungary, was much more than only Gottfried von Cramm’s former lover; he was also a stage performer, a cinema actor, and a singer. In truth, the Jew had performed in 416 performances of the operetta “White Horse Inn” while he was secretly dating the tennis star in the early 1930s, only to lose his job when the Nazis came to power.
With Gottfried’s assistance, which he reportedly subsequently personally thanked, Manasse escaped Germany at the age of 23 out of fear for his life. Shortly after, he became a proud US citizen. He eventually succeeded in creating a home for himself in Hallandale, Florida, where he tragically died on January 3, 1997, at the age of 83. Although the cause of his demise has never been established, it may have been natural.
