Frank Wedekind wrote his social drama in the winter of 1890/91, but the premiere of the play did not take place until 1906 due to legal and, above all, censorship issues. Through the example of a group of young people whose awakening sexuality conflicts with the prevailing moral standards and leads to the downfall of the protagonists, Wedekind attacks the widespread prudery and moral hypocrisy of Wilhelminism. Not least because of some sadomasochistic scenes, there were repeatedly interventions by censors and performance bans later on.