Historicising Consent in Postwar Germany: Feminist Readings of Rape and Redemption in Ku’damm 56

Paula Garay González

doi:10.12795/mAGAzin.2025.i34.06

Autor/innen

Paula Garay González Universidad de Oviedo https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3822-2808

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12795/mAGAzin.2025.i34.06

Schlagworte:

Sexual violence representacion, German media culture, Feminist Media Studies, #MeToo and screen narratives, postwar Germany

Abstract

Abstract

This article examines the depiction of rape in the German historical drama Ku’damm 56 (2016), situating its narrative between historical fidelity and contemporary feminist critique. While the series accurately portrays postwar West Germany’s culture of silence and patriarchal control, its treatment of trauma and the rapist’s redemption undermines its critical potential. Drawing on scene analysis and feminist media theory in the context of post-#MeToo discourse, the article explores how the series uses aesthetic tools to convey sexual violence while failing to offer meaningful narrative accountability. The study warns against the normalisation of coercion when violence is depicted without consequence and advocates for greater ethical responsibility in screen representations of rape.

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