The paperback edition of the English edition was published in the UK last Saturday, 27 April 2024. The Hungarian, Estonian, Croatian and Slovenian editions will be published soon.

Table of contents

Introduction

1 . Prostitution and Sex in the Third Reich

1.1 History: Love For Sale in the 1920s
1.2 Harlotry after Hitler’s Rise to Power
1.3 Concentration Camps and Wehrmacht Brothels
1.4 Sex and Double Standards in the Nazi Upper Class

2 . Espionage and Mistrust in the Service of the Führer

2.1 A “sea of denunciation”: Enemies of the people and spies everywhere
2.2 Organised Espionage of the Party and State
2.3 Informers and Mistrust in Their Own Ranks
2.4 Feminine Charms and Seduction as a Weapon

3 . Facts and Legends about Salon Kitty

3.1 The Contradictory bBeginnings of the spy Bordello
3.2 The Nazi Whorehouse: Velvet and Mirrors
3.3 Double Walls, Listening Devices and Secret Recordings
3.4 Guests and Vistors in the Temple of Sin
3.5 Madame Schmidt’s call girls and Mata Haris

4 . On the trail of Kätchen “Kitty” Zammit-Schmidt

4.1 Kätchen’s Childhood and Teenage Years
4.2 Socialite and Bawd
4.3 Kitty Schmidt’s Senior Years Until her Mysterious Death
4.4 Kitty Schmidt and Anti-Semitism: The Brothel as a Hiding Place for Jews?
4.5 Nazi Victim, Survivor, Opportunist or Collaborator?

5 . Kitty’s Descendants and the “Salon After The End of the War

5.1 The Boarding House Schmidt from 1945 until Kitty’s death in 1954
5.2 Daughter Kathleen and Son-in-law Jean-Florian Matei
5.3 Taking over the brothel: Artist Boarding House and Love Hotel
5.4 Grandson Jochem Matei and his Wife Irena
5.5 The Rather Sad End of the Boarding House and the Love Hotel

6 . The Irresistible Triad of Nazis, Sex and Espionage: Salon Kitty in Literature and Film

6.1 The Birth of Salon Kitty: Walter Schellenberg’s Memoirs
6.2 Salon Kitty Becomes World famous: Peter Norden’s Documentary Novel
6.3 A Missed Chance For Correction: Jochem Matei’s Salon Kitty II – As It Really Was
6.4 Fantasy and Perversion: Tinto Brass’ Sadomasochistic Celluloid Spectacle
6.5 Contemporary Witnesses Speak out: Rosa von Praunheims “My Grandma Had a Nazi Brothel”
6.6 An In-Depth Look: Claus Räfle’s Factual Historical Portrait
6.7 The Fascination with Salon Kitty Never Ends

Conclusion

Epilogue and Outlook

Acknowledgement

Chronology
City Map of Berlin During War Time
Short Portraits of Nazi Figures in the orbit of the Salon Kitty
Abbreviations
Bibliography
Photo Credits

Appendix

Documents