At the end of the 19th century, "Jasminblüthe" emerges as the first play that attempts to evoke sympathy for the suffering of homosexuals. This and eight other plays from the period 1904 to 1913 have been compiled by editor Manfred Herzer for this volume. They all reflect the spirit of the Wilhelmine era and are set in the upper class milieu. The gay hero is at least the son of a senior teacher in a small town or a banker in a metropolis, belonging to the caste of the wealthy rural nobility, a successful parliamentarian, a member of the affluent small-town aristocracy, or London high society. Wealth and respectability make these sexual outcasts vulnerable and susceptible to blackmailers. The blackmailers belong to the servant class, are workers, or simply a "scoundrel." As a light-hearted addition to the serious dramas, the volume includes.