ABSTRACT
Although Der Kreis published a variety of views, and indeed Rolf always insisted that the journal tried to appeal to a broad level of interests, it consistently promoted its own-one could say Rolf's own-concept of the Ideal Gay Man. I am following here the analysis of Thomas Löw, who especially studied the journal for the years 1947–1957. 1 He wrote: “The journal developed its own ethic for gay men and their relationships, a code of conduct that readers were urged to live by.” This “code of conduct,” which was widely viewed as desirable by gay men in the 1950s, was beginning to lose favor in the 1960s, which probably contributed to the demise of Der Kreis. In later years, particularly in the aftermath of AIDS, some parts of it became fashionable again, naturally in changed forms. The views of Der Kreis in this regard may be described under the headings: goal, strategy, and tactics, although these are closely intertwined.
