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Biography

Anna Elisabet Weirauch was born in Romania on August 7, 1887. Anna's father was a Berlin writer and the founder of the Romanian State Bank. She lived in Romania until her father's death when she then moved to Germany. After moving and attending school in Berlin, Weirauch worked for the German State Theatre where she was acting for Max Reinhardt's company until she found her love for writing. She then moved onto writing plays, and finally, to novels. After living in Berlin, she moves to Munich and spends the rest of her days with her partner Helena Geisenhainer, whom she has been with since her mid twenties. Weirauch died in Berlin on December 21, 1970.

The Scorpion (Der Skorpion)

One of Weirauch's most famous work is her three-volume German novel The Scorpion (Der Skorpion) , which dealt with lesbian life and love. The first volume of The Scorpion was published in 1919. Two continuation volumes were later published, one in 1921 and one in 1931. The book was acclaimed for being ahead of its time in the depiction of same sex people and relationships, as it did not establish a cause of lesbianism, rather it was seen as innate. It was also written in such a way as to not depict lesbianism as a bad thing, rather as just an aspect of the main character, Mette's, life. This work, as opposed to many others within the lesbian fiction genre released in the same timeframe, takes on an original perspective on the independence and freedom as well as the anxieties experienced by lesbian women in postwar Berlin society. Typically, 20th-century lesbian fiction is more serious and does not end happily; The Scorpion is no different in this respect. Where it does stray from the norm is in the main romance between Mette and Olga because both are more masculine in their presentation. The novel also distinguishes itself from other books of the same genre in that in this work, women are portrayed as sexual predators. Rather than writing a standard plot, possibly involving a boarding school romance or naughty maid scenario, Weirauch writes a modern story with more mature themes.

Terminology

A main theme in the novel is the complexity of lesbian identity, and rejects the fetishization of female sexuality. This is conveyed through the main romance is between Mette and Olga, both of whom are more masculine in their presentation. Mette is an androgynous "garconne," and is smitten by the older and mysterious Olga, who is a "scorpion." In Germany, scorpion and garconne are both terms, among others, to describe groups of more masculine-presenting lesbians, and they can help to communicate their complex identities through their appearances, such as through their haircut or cut of suit they're wearing. Scorpions are more sophisticated, which might be conveyed through fashion or being knowledgable and worldly in various fields.

Response and Translated Publishings

The Scorpion was considered to be ahead of its time, at the same level as later lesbian fiction and feminist classics such as The Well of Loneliness and Orlando: A Biography. Because The Scorpion was so popular, a translated English version that combined volumes one and two was published in 1932 by Whittaker Chambers, an American writer and spy for the Communist underground. The English translated version of the third volume,The Outcast, was translated by American novelist and screenwriter Guy Endore and was released in 1948. This same year, The Scorpion rose to be a classic of more intellectual lesbian novels.

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