A long-lost oil painting of Madame Kitty Schmidt, the proprietor of the infamous Nazi-era brothel known as Salon Kitty, has been discovered after being missing for decades. The portrait of Schmidt, whose full name was Kätchen Emma Sophie Schmidt, recently surfaced and was found by two authors researching the notorious establishment that operated during World War II.
Salon Kitty was located in Berlin's Charlottenburg district and became the subject of numerous legends and stories. The brothel was frequented by prominent Nazi officials and other high-ranking members of the regime during the war years. Beyond its clientele of Nazi elites, the establishment gained additional notoriety from rumors that emerged years after the war ended, suggesting that the prostitutes working there had been ordered by the SS to spy on foreign diplomats and gather intelligence.
The brothel proved remarkably resilient during the war, continuing operations even after sustaining damage from British bombing raids. When the building was hit, the establishment simply relocated its operations to the ground floor and continued serving its clientele. The business demonstrated such durability that it survived not only the bombing but also the end of the war itself, finally closing its doors only in 1954 when Kitty Schmidt herself passed away.
The rediscovered portrait had been hanging in the rooms of the brothel during its years of operation, serving as a reminder of the establishment's proprietor to both clients and workers. The painting's discovery by the two authors adds another piece to the historical puzzle surrounding one of Berlin's most infamous wartime establishments, which has been the subject of books, films, and documentaries over the decades since its closure.
The Salon Kitty has remained a subject of fascination for historians and the public alike, representing a dark chapter in Berlin's wartime history where espionage, prostitution, and Nazi politics intersected in ways that continue to generate interest and speculation more than 80 years later.
