11. Reigen
box 19/1
cumstances that Reigen’ had been made suit¬
able for the stage,
This question (i. e., the legality of Reigen'
as a play) is of equal importance with the ques¬
tion as to the ethical value of Reigen', and
involves the question as to whether the book
Reigen' is to be considered as an obscene writ¬
ing. For, if Reigen’ has a lofty moral value
and is not to be regarded as an obscene
book, then a moral idea is the basis of a per¬
formance of the play, which makes it a work
of art, and the performance as d ichole cannot
arouse in normal people lewd desires. There
are many examples of this in German litera¬
ture and art. We may mention only a few of
those which have been cited as parallels
by a large number of experts. In Wagner’s
Walkure’ the whole action centers about a
sexual connection which is supposed to take
place after the end ofthe act. Asimilar situa¬
tion occurs in Romeo and Juliet’ where the
action directly concerns a sexual connection.
The opinion of the Court as to the book is
summarized as follows: Even if the treatment
in literature of erotic problems does not appear
necessary to many people, nevertheless, in judg¬
ing the book objectively, it must be acknowi¬
edged that it is a piece of artistic writing; that
even if it is not to be regarded as one of the
greatest art works in German literature, still
it is to be included among valuable books.
Schnitzler wishes in his work to show not some
cross-section of German men and German
women, but to indicate by a somewhat stark
depiction how flat and tasteless the search for¬
crude pleasure is, which degrades the highest
thing in life—love—and how quickly satiety re¬
sults from transitory lust; he has not had any
intention of arousing lustful feelings, but has
written the work out of gennine, deep feeling
in his soul. The pictures are not intended to
have the effect of sexual excitation, but, on the
gsn
box 19/1
cumstances that Reigen’ had been made suit¬
able for the stage,
This question (i. e., the legality of Reigen'
as a play) is of equal importance with the ques¬
tion as to the ethical value of Reigen', and
involves the question as to whether the book
Reigen' is to be considered as an obscene writ¬
ing. For, if Reigen’ has a lofty moral value
and is not to be regarded as an obscene
book, then a moral idea is the basis of a per¬
formance of the play, which makes it a work
of art, and the performance as d ichole cannot
arouse in normal people lewd desires. There
are many examples of this in German litera¬
ture and art. We may mention only a few of
those which have been cited as parallels
by a large number of experts. In Wagner’s
Walkure’ the whole action centers about a
sexual connection which is supposed to take
place after the end ofthe act. Asimilar situa¬
tion occurs in Romeo and Juliet’ where the
action directly concerns a sexual connection.
The opinion of the Court as to the book is
summarized as follows: Even if the treatment
in literature of erotic problems does not appear
necessary to many people, nevertheless, in judg¬
ing the book objectively, it must be acknowi¬
edged that it is a piece of artistic writing; that
even if it is not to be regarded as one of the
greatest art works in German literature, still
it is to be included among valuable books.
Schnitzler wishes in his work to show not some
cross-section of German men and German
women, but to indicate by a somewhat stark
depiction how flat and tasteless the search for¬
crude pleasure is, which degrades the highest
thing in life—love—and how quickly satiety re¬
sults from transitory lust; he has not had any
intention of arousing lustful feelings, but has
written the work out of gennine, deep feeling
in his soul. The pictures are not intended to
have the effect of sexual excitation, but, on the
gsn