Who was Gertrud Günther?
Baroness Gertrud Günther von Puttkamer
Born Gertrud Günther, April 1881 – September 1944), also known by her pen name Marie-Madeleine, was a German writer of lesbian-themed erotic literature and homoerotic poetry. Her first book, Auf Kypros, sold over one million copies during her lifetime.
Born in Eydtuhnen, East Prussia to Jewish parents, she Gertrud grew up in Eydtkuhnen's middle class Jewish community. At age 19 she married she married Baron Heinrich Georg Ludwig von Puttkamer, a member of the Pomeranian nobility who was 35 years her senior.
Upon her marriage, Baroness von Puttkamer moved into a villa with her husband in Grunewald, Berlin and frequently traveled to Vienna, Paris, Nice, and Monte Carlo where she socialized with Hollywood actors, European royalty and nobility, artists, and writers and began using morphine recreationally. Her husband's death in 1914 led to her morphine addiction.
In 1900, von Puttkamer published her first book of poetry under the pen-name Marie-Madeleine, titled Auf Kypros, which was a collection of lesbian-themed erotic verses. Auf Kypros became a best-seller throughout the German Empire, particularly in high society circles.
At the time, her work was seen as contrary to societal standards on morality and was even considered pornographic. Throughout the next fourteen years, she published 28 more books, including poetry, short stories, plays and novels. By 1910, her writings were not only centered on lesbian erotic love but also on the use of morphine. By the end of her life, she had written over 46 works.
During the Third Reich, her identity was discovered by the Nazis. In 1932, her writings were condemned as degenerate and ordered to be burned. In 1943, she was committed to a sanatorium in Katzenelnbogen under the pretense of treating her morphine addiction. She died on 27 or 30 September 1944 while under the care of Nazi doctors.
In our research for this breathtaking opera we purchased a copy of the book that inspired composer Rosśa Crean to write the opera.
“Priestess of Morphine: The Lost Writing of Marie-Madeleine in the time of Nazis” (Marie-Madeleine, Ronald K. Siegel, Eric A. Bye) is a treasure trove of her original works translated into English for the first time, her life story, and insights into the tumultuous era that she lived.
The book starts to give you an idea of just how prolific she was, and how lucky we are that someone managed to unearth these writings, because for over 80 years her writings were nearly erased. Thankfully through this book and the subsequent opera, Gertrud/Marie-Madeleine lives on.
Below are some excerpts from the book:
