We must all dedicate ourselves entirely to politics
We must all dedicate ourselves entirely to politics
On 1 January 1933 – 29 days before the new Chancellor took office – we started a cabaret at the Bonbonnière in Munich […] What did we want? To fight the Nazis. So we said we were “literary”. Out of circumspection and because that was what we were, unavoidably, incurably, by nature. We gave extremely aggressive performances and enjoyed the most glorious success – until the Reichstag burnt down. But that didn’t stop us performing that evening.
Erika Mann, Therese Giehse zum 70. Geburtstag,1968. In: Erika Mann: Blitze überm Ozean. Aufsätze, Reden, Reportagen. Hrsg. von Irmela von der Lühe und Uwe Naumann. Reinbek 2000. S.449–457.
The Mann family watched the NSDAP’s election victories and rise to power with fear and horror. Thomas, Heinrich and Klaus Mann’s responses were literary and journalistic. Erika Mann’s answer was cabaret. Since the autumn of 1932, she had been working with actress Therese Giehse, musician Magnus Henning and brother Klaus Mann to create a cabaret in the tradition of the Elf Scharfrichter political cabaret in Munich and the Überbrettl literary cabaret in Berlin. On 1 January 1933, the Pfeffermühle (Pepper Mill) opened at the Bonbonnière, not far from the Hofbräuhaus. The public and critics were enthusiastic, the national press seethed.
The performers played to full houses until the end of February. For the first time in the history of cabaret, the texts, performances and organisation were all the responsibility of a woman.
Further reading:
Helga Keiser-Hayne: Erika Mann und ihr politisches Kabarett „Die Pfeffermühle“ 1933–1937. Texte- Bilder-Hintergründe. Reinbek 1995
Ute Kröger: Wie ich leben soll, weiss ich noch nicht. Erika Mann zwischen „Pfeffermühle“ und „Firma Mann“. Ein Porträt. Zürich 2005
Klaus Budzinski/ Reinhard Hippen (Hrsg.): Metzler Kabarett Lexikon. Stuttgart 1996
Gallery
![The black-and-white photo shows Erika Mann at the age of 29 in a performance of Der Prinz von Lügenland [The Prince of the Land of Lies]](/KIE/Content/EN/SpecialExhibitions/ErikaMann-en/Images/Objects/erika-mann-kapitel-04a-04.jpg?__blob=thumbnail&v=3 "The black-and-white photo shows Erika Mann at the age of 29 in a performance of Der Prinz von Lügenland [The Prince of the Land of Lies]")
