The Politics and Limits of Policing a Metropolis: The Case of Berlin, 1871–1900

Throughout the nineteenth century, the police and especially the Chief of Police in Berlin had a relatively powerful position, acting as agents of a combined force for security and public welfare policing. The extent of policing became particularly evident in Berlin’s public entertainment scene because the police decided on the licensing of public amusement venues such as theaters (but excluding taverns since the mid-1870s), the closing hour, and the moral and political legitimacy of performances (censorship). While acknowledging the authoritarian character of policing in Prussia, this paper argues for a more nuanced understanding of actual policing practices and their perceived effectiveness. Despite the police’s significant sway and their repeated attempts to curtail the expansion of commercial amusements in Berlin, they could not establish a comprehensive and fully efficient system of supervision and control. Rapid urbanization and an insufficient number of police officers caused noticeable porousness in Berlin’s policing efforts. As indicated by formal complaints, private citizens commonly disputed police decisions. The press frequently documented police practices and intoned this news with mockery of the police which further contributed to setbacks in authoritarian rule. The vast variety of motives that dictated the police’s agenda also contributed to inconsistencies in disciplining strategies. The protection of the law, decency, and order lay at the core of policing policies and was predominantly informed by traditional Prussian virtues and aimed foremost at policing Berlin’s lower and working classes. However, with the conferral of Imperial capital status in 1871, Berlin city’s police were newly forced to find a manageable compromise between guaranteeing public order, pursuing an authoritarian agenda, and granting entertainments deemed adequate for a metropolis. Traditionally hostile towards the police, in time, Berliners’ attitudes diversified and became more positive by the late nineteenth century, as citizens increasingly urged police to protect law and order.