"The Rothenburg Girls"
TV Series Proposal
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Berlin, 1939, on the brink of war. Madam Kitty, known for her elegance and discretion, runs “Salon Kitty” - the city’s most fashionable and illegal brothel. Cruel top SS Officer Reinhard Heydrich orders one of his SS officers, moral and grounded Walter Schellenberg, to spearhead one of the most bizarre and lurid missions in World War II: Operation Salon Kitty.
Adolf Hitler’s intent was to send visiting foreign dignitaries and German allies to a bugged brothel in an attempt to listen in on their private trysts with the women and glean any secret information they might be withholding from Hitler. And one step better, the prostitutes will be trained in the art of espionage.
Horrified at Hitler’s policies, Kitty knows it’s time to funnel money to London and flee the country before it’s too late. But after she’s caught trying to flee the country and threatened with going to a concentration camp, Kitty must now share her brothel with the SS.
Walter finds Kitty’s regular girls are deemed unqualified to act as spies so he sets out on a bizarre task: finding women who are intelligent, attractive, spoke foreign languages, are loyal to the party and won’t mind literally prostituting themselves for their country. They will be trained in politics, recognizing ranks by insignias and uniforms, all forms of espionage, but will also be trained in seduction and sexual techniques best used to “persuade” the men to divulge confidential information during the throes of passion.
Though he finds this mission distasteful, Walter molds a bevy of streetwise prostitutes into highly trained spies and Salon Kitty is taken over to use as a spy house for Hitler. Using their feminine wiles, new spy skills and plenty of booze they glean secret information from foreign dignitaries and German allies that may be of use to Hitler.
Adolf Hitler’s intent was to send visiting foreign dignitaries and German allies to a bugged brothel in an attempt to listen in on their private trysts with the women and glean any secret information they might be withholding from Hitler. And one step better, the prostitutes will be trained in the art of espionage.
Horrified at Hitler’s policies, Kitty knows it’s time to funnel money to London and flee the country before it’s too late. But after she’s caught trying to flee the country and threatened with going to a concentration camp, Kitty must now share her brothel with the SS.
Walter finds Kitty’s regular girls are deemed unqualified to act as spies so he sets out on a bizarre task: finding women who are intelligent, attractive, spoke foreign languages, are loyal to the party and won’t mind literally prostituting themselves for their country. They will be trained in politics, recognizing ranks by insignias and uniforms, all forms of espionage, but will also be trained in seduction and sexual techniques best used to “persuade” the men to divulge confidential information during the throes of passion.
Though he finds this mission distasteful, Walter molds a bevy of streetwise prostitutes into highly trained spies and Salon Kitty is taken over to use as a spy house for Hitler. Using their feminine wiles, new spy skills and plenty of booze they glean secret information from foreign dignitaries and German allies that may be of use to Hitler.
And in an amazing technological feat for the time, the entire brothel – unknown to Kitty or the spy girls – is bugged and young officers are stationed at monitoring desks around the clock in the basement recording every word on wax disks…and finding it difficult to stay impartial to the erotic dramas going on upstairs.
The Rothenburg Girls is the lurid, bizarre and fascinating story of Kitty Schmidt, who must feign ignorance and turn a blind eye to the S.S. using her brothel to win a war she doesn’t believe in. Jealous catfights break out between the regular girls who are jealous of the “new” girls, Walter’s inconvenient demands escalate, and the debauched behavior of drunken foreign dignitaries is ruining Kitty’s respected business. Walter is increasingly dissatisfied with his duties, worried about the prospect of a war, and struggles to stay one step ahead of the cruel and manipulative Reinhard Heydrich -- the man Hitler called "the man with the iron heart."
Season one ends with Walter becoming increasingly uneasy about the part he’s playing in the Gestapo’s reign of terror, and he wants to prevent war. Walter and Kitty eventually join forces and risk their lives by going behind Heydrich and Hitler’s back to sabotage Heydrich’s false flag attack on a German radio tower that will spark World War II.
The Rothenburg Girls is the lurid, bizarre and fascinating story of Kitty Schmidt, who must feign ignorance and turn a blind eye to the S.S. using her brothel to win a war she doesn’t believe in. Jealous catfights break out between the regular girls who are jealous of the “new” girls, Walter’s inconvenient demands escalate, and the debauched behavior of drunken foreign dignitaries is ruining Kitty’s respected business. Walter is increasingly dissatisfied with his duties, worried about the prospect of a war, and struggles to stay one step ahead of the cruel and manipulative Reinhard Heydrich -- the man Hitler called "the man with the iron heart."
Season one ends with Walter becoming increasingly uneasy about the part he’s playing in the Gestapo’s reign of terror, and he wants to prevent war. Walter and Kitty eventually join forces and risk their lives by going behind Heydrich and Hitler’s back to sabotage Heydrich’s false flag attack on a German radio tower that will spark World War II.
The series will depict Berlin and Europe at a crucial time in history: 1939, a few months before World War II begins. Sides are being chosen, alliances formed, loyalties questioned. Our lead characters will live in an accurate historical context, surrounded by the intrigues, espionage, and torn allegiances of pre-war Europe.
The 1930s were a tumultuous decade in the capital city of Berlin. The city was under the iron grip of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich which was at its peak of power. After the collapse of the Weimar Republic in 1933 Germany was plagued with economic problems which pushed many Germans into embracing the far-right party’s beliefs and Hitler easily took power. Eight years later the city will be in ruins as Allied forces occupy the city and the war will be over.
The 1930s were a tumultuous decade in the capital city of Berlin. The city was under the iron grip of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich which was at its peak of power. After the collapse of the Weimar Republic in 1933 Germany was plagued with economic problems which pushed many Germans into embracing the far-right party’s beliefs and Hitler easily took power. Eight years later the city will be in ruins as Allied forces occupy the city and the war will be over.
Yet in 1939 Berlin was still a vibrant city by day, filled with sun-soaked parks, beer gardens, shops and cafes. Street vendors food carts’ flowed with fruits, flowers, and ice cream cones. By night it was an exciting metropolis teeming with nightclubs, classy restaurants, bawdy cabarets and beer halls.
Hitler was itching for war and looking for any excuse to invade Poland. The men at the top of the Reich under Hitler were Himmler, Goering, and Heydrich. All power-hungry, blood-thirsty megalomaniacs with no remorse or guilt for the horrible crimes they will commit in the name of their Fatherland, in the name of war. However, “The Rothenburg Girls” will take care to show the balance of evil Nazis versus the many officers who were simply decent German citizens who joined the army as a career move. Many were torn between their allegiance to their party and their sense of moral decency. Walter Schellenberg was one of these men who came to realize that Hitler’s plan was not something he could live with, not even in the name of war.
In 1939 the Nuremburg Laws have been in effect for four years. These were anti-Semitic laws that were introduced in 1935 after Nazism became the official ideology of Germany and incorporated anti-Semitism as a form of “scientific racism.” “Non-Aryans” were banned from civil service, were not allowed to marry or have sex with Germans, were not allowed in public parks, were not allowed to own businesses. Their businesses were taken away from them. Concentration camps were already set up and any “troublesome” citizens would be imprisoned there. It was a time of unease and fear, even for Germans.
Hitler and his henchmen are determined to have a war, and Reinhard Heydrich wants to know who is loyal, who will be on their side, and what they really think about the Third Reich. Knowing that the combination of liquor and easy women equals loose tongues he puts Walter Schellenberg in charge of setting up Madame Kitty Schmidt’s brothel as a clearinghouse for secret intel. Any visiting foreign dignitaries were sent there and told to use the code phrase “I come from Rothenburg,” and this phrase would ensure they get the best women, the best liquor, the best treatment. In actual fact, this code phrase alerted Madame Kitty to make sure this special client was steered toward one of the spy girls, hence they were referred to as the Rothenburg Girls to differentiate them from Kitty’s regular girls who still worked at the brothel.
Hitler was itching for war and looking for any excuse to invade Poland. The men at the top of the Reich under Hitler were Himmler, Goering, and Heydrich. All power-hungry, blood-thirsty megalomaniacs with no remorse or guilt for the horrible crimes they will commit in the name of their Fatherland, in the name of war. However, “The Rothenburg Girls” will take care to show the balance of evil Nazis versus the many officers who were simply decent German citizens who joined the army as a career move. Many were torn between their allegiance to their party and their sense of moral decency. Walter Schellenberg was one of these men who came to realize that Hitler’s plan was not something he could live with, not even in the name of war.
In 1939 the Nuremburg Laws have been in effect for four years. These were anti-Semitic laws that were introduced in 1935 after Nazism became the official ideology of Germany and incorporated anti-Semitism as a form of “scientific racism.” “Non-Aryans” were banned from civil service, were not allowed to marry or have sex with Germans, were not allowed in public parks, were not allowed to own businesses. Their businesses were taken away from them. Concentration camps were already set up and any “troublesome” citizens would be imprisoned there. It was a time of unease and fear, even for Germans.
Hitler and his henchmen are determined to have a war, and Reinhard Heydrich wants to know who is loyal, who will be on their side, and what they really think about the Third Reich. Knowing that the combination of liquor and easy women equals loose tongues he puts Walter Schellenberg in charge of setting up Madame Kitty Schmidt’s brothel as a clearinghouse for secret intel. Any visiting foreign dignitaries were sent there and told to use the code phrase “I come from Rothenburg,” and this phrase would ensure they get the best women, the best liquor, the best treatment. In actual fact, this code phrase alerted Madame Kitty to make sure this special client was steered toward one of the spy girls, hence they were referred to as the Rothenburg Girls to differentiate them from Kitty’s regular girls who still worked at the brothel.
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Series Structure:
The Rothenburg Girls begins in the warm, lovely summer of 1939. SS officer Walter Schellenberg is tasked with “Operation Salon Kitty” and the pilot episode finds him struggling to find women suitable to hire for the operation. Walter is a deeply moral and somewhat conservative man, and frankly he finds this whole operation distasteful. Yet he must press on. Not having any luck finding “quality” women prepared to prostitute themselves for their Führer, Walter is reduced to rounding up common street whores in Berlin and winnowing this motley crew down to a small group that might be trainable. Then this lovely group of women begin their strange training.
Along with classes such as “Foreign Policy and Global Politics,” “Recognizing Foreign Military Rank & Insignias,” “Hand-to-Hand Combat,” “European Geography – Global Position of Allies,” the women must also attend less traditional classes such as “Alluring Hair Styles and Makeup,” “Sexual Techniques To Elicit Compliance in Men,” and “Elocution and Movement – The Art of Seduction.”
Only Walter, his boss Heydrich, the ‘listeners’ in the basement of Salon Kitty and a handful of engineers/installers know that the brothel is bugged.
Schellenberg had the facility closed for a week for ‘remodeling’. Top engineers installed cables and microphones in each room, carefully hidden inside behind the wallpaper. All cables were run down to a hidden monitoring station in the basement which is manned 24 hours a day.
Only Walter, his boss Heydrich, the ‘listeners’ in the basement of Salon Kitty and a handful of engineers/installers know that the brothel is bugged.
Schellenberg had the facility closed for a week for ‘remodeling’. Top engineers installed cables and microphones in each room, carefully hidden inside behind the wallpaper. All cables were run down to a hidden monitoring station in the basement which is manned 24 hours a day.
The pilot episode ends with Walter is presented with his eight perfect, sexy, spy girls, ready and waiting for orders after weeks of training. Kitty’s intent on finding another opportunity to flee to London while running Salon Kitty under the watchful eye - and ears! - of the SS.
Season one will progress with the Rothenburg girls being introduced into Kitty’s brothel, and as Europe starts taking sides in the war, Hitler and Heydrich send more and more foreign dignitaries to Salon Kitty. Kitty is fearful but forced to be compliant to Walter’s demands, but always wondering if there is a way for her to flee to England without ending up in a concentration camp.
The regular girls are jealous of the Rothenburg Girls, not even knowing their true purpose, but seeing them get all of the ‘good’ customers. Rivalries and petty jealousies grow, they sabotage each other and form friendships, life in Salon Kitty becomes a miniature version of the war that looms on the horizon.
Season one ends with Walter becoming increasingly uneasy about the part he’s playing in the Gestapo’s reign of terror, and he wants to prevent war. Walter risks his life by going behind Heydrich and Hitler’s back to sabotage Heydrich’s false flag attack on a German radio tower that will spark World War II.
Season one will progress with the Rothenburg girls being introduced into Kitty’s brothel, and as Europe starts taking sides in the war, Hitler and Heydrich send more and more foreign dignitaries to Salon Kitty. Kitty is fearful but forced to be compliant to Walter’s demands, but always wondering if there is a way for her to flee to England without ending up in a concentration camp.
The regular girls are jealous of the Rothenburg Girls, not even knowing their true purpose, but seeing them get all of the ‘good’ customers. Rivalries and petty jealousies grow, they sabotage each other and form friendships, life in Salon Kitty becomes a miniature version of the war that looms on the horizon.
Season one ends with Walter becoming increasingly uneasy about the part he’s playing in the Gestapo’s reign of terror, and he wants to prevent war. Walter risks his life by going behind Heydrich and Hitler’s back to sabotage Heydrich’s false flag attack on a German radio tower that will spark World War II.
This true story of Operation Salon Kitty is not widely known, most of the evidence (wax disks, files) has been destroyed, either by design or by direct bomb hits during the war. This series will be boundary-pushing – some of the lead heroes are Nazis. In this true story SS officer Walter Schellenberg was a member of the Nazi party, but no one can deny he was a good guy, doing his best to topple Hitler from power and bring the war to an end. And then there’s a good old (and historically accurate!) dyed-in-the-wool sociopathic villain, Nazi officer Reinhard Heydrich. This is the man that Hitler himself called “the man with the iron heart” so viewers will love to despise him. There are all walks of life involved in Operation Salon Kitty, some petty and vindictive, some working for peace, others just trying to stay alive in difficult times.
The Rothenburg Girls employs the Boardwalk Empire approach of blending of real historical characters with fictional ones. This gives us the gift of mixing these wonderfully dramatic true events and people in with events and storylines that we can fictionalize or expand upon to make riveting TV that will draw audiences in.
The Rothenburg Girls employs the Boardwalk Empire approach of blending of real historical characters with fictional ones. This gives us the gift of mixing these wonderfully dramatic true events and people in with events and storylines that we can fictionalize or expand upon to make riveting TV that will draw audiences in.
Characters:
SS Obersturmführer Walter Schellenberg joined the German army as a career move after finishing law school. Smart, organized, intelligent, and with a strong moral center he rose up through the ranks of the SS, though his job is mostly handling paperwork. His boss sees Walter’s overarching kindness may inhibit him from being as strict as needed with the prostitute/spy girls. Walter becomes increasingly appalled by his fellow SS officers ends up going behind Hitler’s back to try to negotiate a secret peace agreement with Britain. He must always try and stay one step ahead of his monstrously cruel boss, Heydrich.
SS Obersturmführer Walter Schellenberg joined the German army as a career move after finishing law school. Smart, organized, intelligent, and with a strong moral center he rose up through the ranks of the SS, though his job is mostly handling paperwork. His boss sees Walter’s overarching kindness may inhibit him from being as strict as needed with the prostitute/spy girls. Walter becomes increasingly appalled by his fellow SS officers ends up going behind Hitler’s back to try to negotiate a secret peace agreement with Britain. He must always try and stay one step ahead of his monstrously cruel boss, Heydrich.
Kitty Schmidt is madam of Salon Kitty, the brothel at 11 Giesebrechtstrasse, Berlin. Kitty enjoys an excellent reputation among men of Berlin, known for her discretion. She keeps her brothel upscale; it will appeal to foreign dignitaries. Her healthy fear of the Gestapo will keep her in line, but her strong ties with England are known by the Gestapo and mark her as a potential flight risk. Kitty has been made an offer by SS officer Walter Schellenberg: let the SS infiltrate her brothel and they will look the other way and let her keep running the brothel with her existing girls. Not wanting the SS in her life, she at first politely declines. But it’s soon clear that it is an offer she cannot and should not refuse.
Walter’s direct boss is SS Gruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich, Director of the Security Office a.k.a. “The Butcher of Prague.” He answers only to Hitler, Himmler & Goering. He is the mastermind behind Operation Salon Kitty which puts Schellenberg directly under him to do his bidding. Heydrich uses intel gathered at Salon Kitty to trap and blackmail his own colleagues, thereby furthering his own career, instead of for the good of the nation. He is extremely intelligent and ambitious, but this man has no guilt or remorse, making him highly sociopathic. Historians agree that he is considered the true architect of the Holocaust, and far more evil and dangerous than Himmler or Goering, and some say even Hitler. He loves to engage in cat-and-mouse games with Schellenberg, and he toys with his underlings. His insatiable need for sex is his main vulnerability – he was dishonorably discharged from the German Navy for numerous affairs and conduct unbecoming to an officer.
Heydrich’s wife, Lina, cool, cultured, a real social climber. She loves to discuss art and music. Since Heydrich himself is uninterested in such things, Lina turns to Schellenberg to fulfill her need for socializing since he too loves these things. This of course gives Heydrich the opportunity to accuse Schellenberg of having an affair with Lina, and baits him into horribly uncomfortably social outings. Schellenberg is trapped between being Heydrich’s mental cat toy and Lina trying to make her cheating husband jealous.
Admiral Wilhelm Canaris is head of the Abwehr, the defense ministry. His job is to protect Germany from foreign espionage. Kind, fatherly, quiet, and (unknown to anyone) Canaris has long been disillusioned with the Third Reich and is secretly sabotaging his own department’s efforts. He is friends with Walter Schellenberg and encourages Walter to follow his conscience as Canaris is and try to stop the war. Canaris is eventually charged with high treason and goes to his death claiming that he did what he thought was moral and just.
The Italian Foreign Minister Count Galeazzo Ciano visits Salon Kitty. He’s in Berlin to meet with Hitler to discuss whether or not they will be comrades in the war, and how the spoils of war will be divvied up between Italy and Germany. The meeting goes well. However, at Salon Kitty one of the Rothenburg girls expertly plies him with champagne and attention and gets him to speak freely. He calls Hitler two-faced and confides to her that he is disenchanted with the Nazis. She dutifully reports this and (in a shockingly adolescent manner) Hitler gets his feelings hurt and refuses to hold up his end of the deal, cutting down Italy’s share of the profits of war to much less than they agreed upon. Sweet nothings whispered at Salon Kitty change global policy!
Krista is one of the regular prostitutes at Salon Kitty. She’s got a wholesome girl next door look, always with a cheerful smile. Unknown to anyone, she’s Kitty’s daughter, a fact they must keep from the SS or it will be used against them if and when they decide to flee.
Ljubo Kolchev, an attaché from the Romanian embassy, is one of the frequent visitors to Salon Kitty. One of the regular (non-spy) girls gets a crush on him and the feeling seems mutual, yet he always goes out of his way to pick any girl but her. None of the other the girls nor the SS pay him much attention, which is a good thing for Kolchev, because it turns out that Kolchev is actually a British spy named Roger Wilson. The British have tapped into the Salon Kitty lines and are spying on the Listeners in the basement who are spying on the foreign dignitaries. His cover is blown and he is eventually captured by the Nazis. Heydrich approves of “intensive interrogation” techniques, a.k.a. torture, to get information out of him. Kolchev is eventually transferred to a concentration camp. The Nazi’s treatment of Wilson spurs the non-spy girl to take a stand against the war.
Krista is one of the regular prostitutes at Salon Kitty. She’s got a wholesome girl next door look, always with a cheerful smile. Unknown to anyone, she’s Kitty’s daughter, a fact they must keep from the SS or it will be used against them if and when they decide to flee.
Ljubo Kolchev, an attaché from the Romanian embassy, is one of the frequent visitors to Salon Kitty. One of the regular (non-spy) girls gets a crush on him and the feeling seems mutual, yet he always goes out of his way to pick any girl but her. None of the other the girls nor the SS pay him much attention, which is a good thing for Kolchev, because it turns out that Kolchev is actually a British spy named Roger Wilson. The British have tapped into the Salon Kitty lines and are spying on the Listeners in the basement who are spying on the foreign dignitaries. His cover is blown and he is eventually captured by the Nazis. Heydrich approves of “intensive interrogation” techniques, a.k.a. torture, to get information out of him. Kolchev is eventually transferred to a concentration camp. The Nazi’s treatment of Wilson spurs the non-spy girl to take a stand against the war.
All of the above named characters are real figures that were involved in Operation Salon Kitty. Those below will be fictionalized characters based on actual accounts.
SS Untersturmführer Engel, a handsome young officer in his early 30s, is Walter’s right hand man with Operation Salon Kitty. Young and ambitious, Engel respects Walter and the two work well together. Walter is not sure where Engel’s true loyalties lie – with the Reich or with peace, justice and decency.
The Rothenburg Girls -- Intensive training begins. A handful of women have been chosen by the SS to be top secret operatives for Operation Salon Kitty. They have been chosen from a pool of 97 street prostitutes rounded up by the vice squad. All of them have offenses on their records which puts them at the mercy of the SS. Though most seem enthusiastic to help their country, others are doing it against their will. Even Schellenberg himself is flustered and a bit embarrassed by the classes the girls must take. Some classes are a cross between Basic Espionage 101 and the Kama Sutra. These operatives are referred to as Rothenburg girls, named so because the code phrase “I come from Rothenburg” that the SS has instructed visiting dignitaries to use when going to the brothel. Meanwhile, “remodeling” on the brothel has begun – German engineers wire the entire brothel, every nook and cranny is bugged, unbeknownst to Kitty or any of the girls.
Heidi is a smart, vivacious woman with a plan of her own. She’s caught up in the vice sweep and inducted into the Operation Salon Kitty training program and decides to use this position to further her own personal goals of reuniting with loved ones. She has a past connection with Walter and his wife that ensures a mutual loyalty that may end up working to all of their benefits, or may bring their downfall.
Rina is a tough, street smart prostitute who would rather rob her clients than sleep with them. She’s a crafty, scrappy con artist who can handle herself well with unruly clients.
Claire is a delicate little princess who claims to only be working in this line of work until she can find Mr. Right and get married, preferably to a handsome, young officer.
Elke is a simple country girl with a sweet innocence the men will love. She, however, falls in love with one of the listeners who has broken all protocol by contacting her, and they risk their lives to have a relationship.
None of the girls or even Kitty know the rooms are bugged. The girls are under the impression that their written reports are the only way information will be transmitted. As a way to test the loyalty of the girls, their written reports are compared to the audio recordings. If there is even the slightest discrepancy the girls will be severely punished. This will be considered treason.
The Regular Girls
Kitty’s existing prostitutes, ‘the regular girls’ who are still at the brothel are unaware of who the Rothenburg girls are and why they’re there. There are immediate clashes. The regular girls are jealous that the new Rothenburg girls are getting the best customers. Petty jealousies and plots against each other arise. Why do the Rothenburg girls get all the high-level diplomats while the regular girls get nice but low-level customers like the Romanian Kolchev who works at the embassy? Some of the regular girls, Krista (Kitty's daughter) for example, are good-natured and decent, others are vindictive and manipulative. A hearty mix of different types. Even the SS men do not like dealing with a group of angry women!
As the season unfolds we will get to know each of the prostitutes much better.
The Listeners -- The men posted in the basement in the secure monitoring station may become overly attached to the girls due to listening to their every moment, their every word, particularly during their more sensual moments. But under no circumstances are the men to have contact with the girls. They record all visits on wax disks. They are fiercely warned – they must never ever contact any of the girls or staff of Salon Kitty.
Listener Lukas is one of the men stationed in the basement of Salon Kitty listening and recording every lurid session that happens upstairs. He can’t help but get emotionally involved with Elke, one of the Rothenburg Girls, even though he’s never met her. Out of kindness she chose to omit from her report a seemingly unimportant comment one of her kinder customers made. She does not know that her written reports are being compared to the recordings being made. She is in great danger now because of her kindness. One day in a café he hears a voice order coffee and instantly recognizes her. Dare he risk his life by contacting her to warn her?
SS Untersturmführer Engel, a handsome young officer in his early 30s, is Walter’s right hand man with Operation Salon Kitty. Young and ambitious, Engel respects Walter and the two work well together. Walter is not sure where Engel’s true loyalties lie – with the Reich or with peace, justice and decency.
The Rothenburg Girls -- Intensive training begins. A handful of women have been chosen by the SS to be top secret operatives for Operation Salon Kitty. They have been chosen from a pool of 97 street prostitutes rounded up by the vice squad. All of them have offenses on their records which puts them at the mercy of the SS. Though most seem enthusiastic to help their country, others are doing it against their will. Even Schellenberg himself is flustered and a bit embarrassed by the classes the girls must take. Some classes are a cross between Basic Espionage 101 and the Kama Sutra. These operatives are referred to as Rothenburg girls, named so because the code phrase “I come from Rothenburg” that the SS has instructed visiting dignitaries to use when going to the brothel. Meanwhile, “remodeling” on the brothel has begun – German engineers wire the entire brothel, every nook and cranny is bugged, unbeknownst to Kitty or any of the girls.
Heidi is a smart, vivacious woman with a plan of her own. She’s caught up in the vice sweep and inducted into the Operation Salon Kitty training program and decides to use this position to further her own personal goals of reuniting with loved ones. She has a past connection with Walter and his wife that ensures a mutual loyalty that may end up working to all of their benefits, or may bring their downfall.
Rina is a tough, street smart prostitute who would rather rob her clients than sleep with them. She’s a crafty, scrappy con artist who can handle herself well with unruly clients.
Claire is a delicate little princess who claims to only be working in this line of work until she can find Mr. Right and get married, preferably to a handsome, young officer.
Elke is a simple country girl with a sweet innocence the men will love. She, however, falls in love with one of the listeners who has broken all protocol by contacting her, and they risk their lives to have a relationship.
None of the girls or even Kitty know the rooms are bugged. The girls are under the impression that their written reports are the only way information will be transmitted. As a way to test the loyalty of the girls, their written reports are compared to the audio recordings. If there is even the slightest discrepancy the girls will be severely punished. This will be considered treason.
The Regular Girls
Kitty’s existing prostitutes, ‘the regular girls’ who are still at the brothel are unaware of who the Rothenburg girls are and why they’re there. There are immediate clashes. The regular girls are jealous that the new Rothenburg girls are getting the best customers. Petty jealousies and plots against each other arise. Why do the Rothenburg girls get all the high-level diplomats while the regular girls get nice but low-level customers like the Romanian Kolchev who works at the embassy? Some of the regular girls, Krista (Kitty's daughter) for example, are good-natured and decent, others are vindictive and manipulative. A hearty mix of different types. Even the SS men do not like dealing with a group of angry women!
As the season unfolds we will get to know each of the prostitutes much better.
The Listeners -- The men posted in the basement in the secure monitoring station may become overly attached to the girls due to listening to their every moment, their every word, particularly during their more sensual moments. But under no circumstances are the men to have contact with the girls. They record all visits on wax disks. They are fiercely warned – they must never ever contact any of the girls or staff of Salon Kitty.
Listener Lukas is one of the men stationed in the basement of Salon Kitty listening and recording every lurid session that happens upstairs. He can’t help but get emotionally involved with Elke, one of the Rothenburg Girls, even though he’s never met her. Out of kindness she chose to omit from her report a seemingly unimportant comment one of her kinder customers made. She does not know that her written reports are being compared to the recordings being made. She is in great danger now because of her kindness. One day in a café he hears a voice order coffee and instantly recognizes her. Dare he risk his life by contacting her to warn her?
SEASON ONE EPISODE GUIDE
Episode 1:
Kitty Schmidt tries to flee Berlin to England with fake papers and foreign currency, but it caught at the border by the S.S. She then has no choice but to comply to the S.S.’s demands, she must allow her brothel to be taken over by the S.S. for “Operation Salon Kitty” headed by Walter Schellenberg, who joined the army as a career move after graduating law school.. Walter’s sociopathic boss Reinhard Heydrich is eager to impress his boss, Chancellor Hitler, which puts Walter in a tough position when none of Kitty’s regular girls at the brothel are suitable to be trained. Though trained to carry out any orders by his leader, Walter has grown increasingly wary of Hitler’s policies. Unbeknownst to anyone but Walter and Heydrich, the brothel is bugged and all conversations are recorded.
A young single woman named Heidi, and several other street prostitutes are caught up in a vice sweep to be trained as spy girls. Knowing this is an opportunity to make some much needed money for a personal matter Heidi is eager to make the final cut.
Walter decides that visiting dignitaries will be guided to the brothel and told use the phrase “I come from Rothenburg” which will ensure that Kitty gives them special treatment. In actual fact this phrase will trigger Kitty to make sure they are directed to one of the new spy prostitutes. The new recruits are nicknamed Rothenburg Girls to differentiate them from Kitty’s regular girls.
The Rothenburg Girls are taken to a special training base in the country. They are given an intense and bizarre six-week military training course on seduction techniques, self-defense, foreign policies and global politics, elocution and language skills, personal hygiene, espionage skills and fashion.
Heydrich visits the training camp and expects to sample some of the goods. Walter is horrified to learn that some of the girls have tested positive for VD despite his best efforts to get the women segregated from nearby male soldiers. Heidi knows that if Heydrich chooses one of the girls with VD there will be disastrous results for the program and especially Walter. Heidi nobly puts her distaste for Heydrich aside and makes sure she is the one who ends up with Heydrich that night.
Heidi is devastated when Walter, thinking he’s doing her a favor, gets Heidi dismissed from the project. Now her plans to pull her life together are in ruins.
Walter is presented a bevy of eight fully-trained, sexy spy girls. Ready for action.
Kitty, not realizing her entire house is bugged now, is overheard by Walter discussing her hidden fake passport and future plans to flee Berlin.
Episode 2:
Walter’s trial run at Salon Kitty is a success. Mussolini’s son-in-law, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Count Ciano is entertained at Salon Kitty and overheard calling Hitler two-faced and expresses a disenchantment with Nazism.
Heydrich is pleased with the results and discusses the project with Admiral Canaris, whose job it is to investigate people’s backgrounds to determine their true ethnicity, which fits into Heydrich’s simmering plan for a his Final Solution.
Heidi begs Walter to be let back into the project and only after she shares her secret reason for wanting in is she at last chosen as one of the spy girls. Rina, Claire and Elke, the other spy girls, all get used to their new surroundings in the brothel and deal with the petty jealousies of Kitty’s regular girls.
In the basement Listener Lukas listens to Elke’s sessions and is charmed by her.
Regular girl Charlotta, who is fluent in Romanian, flirts shamelessly with cute Romanian press attaché customer, but he chooses Brigitte instead which hurts Charlotta’s delicate feelings. Brigitte complains that the new girls get the best customers and she’s stuck with the boring Romanian press attaché. But there are subtle hints that he’s not so boring after all.
Episode 3:
Elke, not realizing the rooms are bugged and that her written reports are being compared to the recordings, thinks nothing of kindly leaving out a minor detail in one of her written reports - - a highly punishable offence. Walter is instructed by Heydrich to escort Heydrich’s wife Lina to their summer house, not realizing he is being trapped into one of Heydrich’s sociopathic cat and mouse games.
Listener Lukas sits in a coffee shop, overhears a woman talking and instantly recognizes her as Elke, one of the girls he listens to. He knows she will be in grave trouble for her report and must decide if he risks his own job and well-being by contacting her to alert her.
Heydrich insists that Walter and his subordinate, Engel joins him for drinks. Heydrich then tells Walter that his drink is poisoned, retribution for imagined misbehavior by Walter and Heydrich’s wife. Heydrich’s sense of humor is notoriously wicked and dry, but Walter and Engel are not sure if he is kidding or not. This is a taut and risky outing for everyone.
One of the mysterious spy girls, Esme, is revealed to actually be a lady of quite high standing in the society, wife of a respected businessman. Her husband not only doesn’t mind his wife sleeping with foreign diplomats for the sake of the country but he seems to thoroughly enjoy it.
Kitty gets a second chance to flee the country, but finds that her well-meaning housekeeper Helga has burned the fake passport for Kitty’s own good.
Episode 4:
Elke has been told by Listener Lukas that the house is bugged. She shares this information with one of the sweet regular girls, Krista, who in turn tells Kitty.
Walter’s wife Monika convinces him that they should take in Heidi’s half Jewish three year old daughter, Stella, who has been posing as an Aryan child until now in the household of a German couple.
Claire and some of the other Rothenburg girls try to figure out who one of their “special guests” is, no one knows why he is so important.
Kitty has a visit from a Jewish friend who tries to convince Kitty that things are changing for the worst in Germany.
Admiral Canaris does a background check on young Stella and figures out that Heidi is her mother and the father is Jewish, which means Heidi broke the Nuremburg Laws forbidding Aryans and Jews from marrying or having sexual relations.
Rina innocently leaves a minor detail out of her report and is scolded for it, which leads her to figure out that the rooms are bugged, but she keeps this information to herself instead of helping the other girls. She also bonds with Walter over their mutual love of music, it turns out rough and tough Rina is a talented musician and gains Walter’s admiration.
A Listener is assigned to record to the young “special guest.” No one seems to know who he is.
The Romanian press attaché visits the salon again, and once again avoids Charlotta even though there is a clear mutual attraction. He again ends up with Brigitte who shows clear signs of being very anti-Semitic and approves of everything the Nazis are doing. Outside of the building later the Romanian notices some cables that look out of place.
Episode 5:
Hitler is itching to get dirt on a very important Big Wig so he sends him to the brothel and is awaiting the report from the Listeners.
When Kitty and Krista are alone Krista calls Kitty “Mother.” Kitty shushes her and tells her to never ever call her that, especially in this house where the walls have ears. If the S.S. knows that Krista is Kitty’s daughter they will use that information against them both so they must never let anyone know. But someone does overhear. Brigitte hears. She keeps it to herself…for now.
It is revealed that Heidi’s boyfriend Jakob, with whom she has a child, has been released from jail after serving a six month term for inciting a riot at a protest against Hitler’s ever-encroaching policies. Heidi’s true plan is for her and Jakob to leave Berlin with their daughter and live as a family. The problem is that Jakob is Jewish, and their daughter Stella is considered a mischlinge or “mongrel.” Stella can never be considered Aryan, despite the fact that Heidi is her mother.
Though instructed not to be in the front parlor, regular girl Brigitte ventures in to grab a magazine. She spies the Big Wig enter, can immediately tell he’s a big fish from his uniform. She’s resentful that the Rothenburg Girls get all of the good clients. She flirts shamelessly with him until Helga shoos her out.
Upon hearing the Big Wig utter “I come from Rothenburg” Kitty immediately grabs the book with the Rothenburg Girls photos and profiles so he can choose one. But he states that wants Brigitte, a non-spy girl. Kitty says that she is unavailable and helps him choose another. But he insists on having Brigitte and implies that she should not refuse him. Not knowing what else to do, Kitty sends the Big Wig off with Brigitte, who knows nothing of the spy ring tactics.
On another uncomfortable evening out with Heydrich and his wife Lina she tells Walter that she’s intent on having an affair with someone to get back at Heydrich’s many affairs. Walter is petrified that he’ll be her target, but she tells him not to worry. Lina is looking for someone that would really humiliate and enrage Heydrich, and much to Walter’s surprise she tells him that Heydrich respects Walter too much. An affair with Walter would not truly anger her husband.
Kitty and Helga fret over the Big Wig upstairs. Brigitte’s session with him will yield zero information and Walter will not be happy, not to mention Walter’s bosses.
Elke and Listener Lukas risk their safety to have a secret, romantic date.
Kitty and Helga devise a plan to cover up why a non-Rothenburg Girl took the Big Wig upstairs, wasting a prime opportunity to gather intel. Kitty uses her diplomatic skills to keep Big Wig on the premises for quite a while in her private office. Helga arranges for one of the Rothenburg Girls to sidle in and catch his eye. Kitty gallantly offers to give him a second trip upstairs for the evening. Hitler will get his intel after all.
Episode 6:
August 24, 1939. Walter arrives at Salon Kitty for a routine inspection only to find all the girls and staff have the morning off and only Kitty remains. They are startled to hear the air raid siren go off. Quick-thinking Kitty grabs two bottles of champagne as they rush down to the bomb shelter. While waiting hours for the all-clear sign Kitty and Walter get a bit tipsy and for the first time they truly get to know each other and realize they have more in common than they thought. Kitty is distressed when Walter explains what the Non-Aggression Pact that Germany just signed with Russia truly means: Hitler has now cleared the path for an invasion on Poland and war will be coming soon. (bottle episode)
Episode 7:
Heydrich worries that one of his colleagues is going to steal his thunder by finding a reason to attack Poland so he plots a cold-blooded scheme to beat them to it. He plans a false attack on a German radio tower in Silesia. He will pluck a handful of poor souls from a concentration camp, dress them in German uniforms, have them taken to the radio tower and shot to death. Polish ammo and guns will be strewn about to make it look like Poland soldiers attacked them. Germans will be enraged and approve of Hitler’s retaliation.
Walter’s underling Engel is determined to rise up in the Reich as he plans on making the military his career. He finds out about Heydrich’s scheme, but knows that if he does anything to subvert Heydrich’s plan he will be demoted or discharged so he keeps quiet.
The “special guest” returns. Though they don’t know who he is, they are careful to give him the full Rothenburg treatment. The best girls, the best liquor, the best time.
Elke and Listener Lukas spend the night together, struggle to keep their blooming relationship a secret.
Kitty learns that her old friend Sarah Weinberg and her husband have been sent to a concentration camp for insisting on getting their business back from the Nazis. Kitty feels guilty that she did nothing to help them.
Admiral Canaris lets Walter know that he was assigned to investigate Heidi’s background and knows her little girl is half Jewish, making Heidi guilty of breaking the Nuremberg Laws. But then he admits to Walter that he’s been secretly sabotaging the Third Reich for years and he urges Walter to do the same. Walter discovers Heydrich’s sinister plan to attempt a false flag operation in Silesia, a German regions, that will set off a war. Canaris hints at the reason why he’s safe from Heydrich’s clutches: he has secret information about Heydrich’s true ethnicity that Heydrich wants suppressed.
Lina chooses her target for making her husband jealous, she has a threesome with Edgar, a high society businessman who happens to be spy girl Esme’s husband. They engage in a lurid threesome, news of which soon gets to Heydrich’s ears via the walls with ears in Salon Kitty.
Brigitte is once again stuck with the Romanian press attaché, Kolchev. Charlotta confronts Kolchev about why he avoids her despite their undeniable attraction. He admits that he’s been avoiding her because since she speaks Romanian and has a Romanian background that she would too easily be able to detect that he is in fact not Romanian. He’s a British spy named Roger Wilson and he’s been sent to spy on the house. The British have now tapped into the lines and the Brits are spying on the people in the basement who are spying on those upstairs! Brigitte also finds out the house is bugged and plans to use this information against her fellow housemates.
Episode 8:
Kitty and Walter join forces after they realize their common enemy is Heydrich.
Spy girl Rina’s past career as a con artist comes in handy as does the fact that Elke’s new boyfriend is Listener Lukas. They all use the bugging system of the salon to gather crucial information that Walter can use to stop Heydrich’s false flag attack on Silesia, therefore preventing, or at least delaying an all-out war.
After being sexually humiliated by his wife, Heydrich visits Salon Kitty and remembers Heidi from their tryst at the training camp. He chooses to be with her for the night. Of course he orders that all recording devices are turned off during his “inspection.” Heidi is aware of Heydrich’s delicate mental state and uses her training to her advantage to soothe this beast in her bed and tells him what he wants to hear.
Brigitte “accidentally” lets it slip to the S.S. that Krista is Kitty’s daughter.
Elke and Listener Lukas are caught having a relationship, a highly punishable offence.
Episode 9:
August 31, 1939. Kitty helps Walter with his plans to derail the Silesia attack. In return he arranges for a fake passport for her and hints that he’ll look the other way so she and Krista can finally flee to England. Canaris uses his position to get false papers for Stella showing her background as Aryan so Heidi can take her to Sweden where they will meet up with Jakob.
Heydrich, already humiliated over his wife’s threesome affair with Esme and Edgar, is pushed further into fury when Heidi “stands him up” – she has already begun her exodus. Heidi doesn’t get Stella’s Aryan paperwork in time, so Stella must go with her father Jakob, and Heidi must make her way to Sweden alone.
In order to make the listening team’s report more complete they ask Kitty to try and get a bit more information about the “special guest.” After his third deluxe experience visit to the house Kitty engages him in a bit of casual chat before he leaves. Turns out he’s a farmer…from Rothenburg. He’s nobody. When he used the code phrase “I come from Rothenburg,” he was merely stating a fact.
Kolchev is found out as a British spy by the S.S. and a horrified Charlotta watches them cart him away.
Engel’s guilt over not warning anyone about the Silesia attack is placated by the promotion he is given for doing the right thing.
Heydrich gets revenge on Edgar for sleeping with his wife by using him against his will, fatally, in the Silesia false flag attack.
Meek little Elke and Listener Lukas are about to be severely punished but suddenly blackmail Heydrich by letting him know that they alone have the recording of his wife having the threesome and are willing to give it to Heydrich and tell no one in exchange for letting Elke and Listener Lukas go off together to live happily ever after.
Walter, Rina and Listener Lukas try but fail to stop Heydrich’s false flag attack on Silesia.
Episode 10:
September 1, 1939. Germany is shocked by the (false) attack by Poland at the Gleiwitz Radio Tower in Silesia. Hitler and Heydrich have tricked German citizens into thinking Poland has viciously attacked Germany. Citizens now feel provoked and approve of a war.
Helga and Kitty use the Nazi’s own bugging equipment against them to help Kitty and Krista get a head start on their journey to London. But Kitty is armed with a secret weapon, an envelope from Walter with very important ammunition, if needed.
Hell-bent on revenge, Heydrich finds out that Heidi is illegally fleeing and sends his troops to intercept her. Kitty and Krista get caught by the S.S. and thrown in jail.
Rina is caught trying to stop the Silesia radio tower attack and taken before Heydrich. She plays a beautiful Wagner song on the piano, which impresses Heydrich. He joins her on violin and they share a lovely musical moment, connecting with each other over the music. Afterward without hesitation he sends Rina to a concentration camp for treason.
Elke and Listener Lukas get a nice, cushy set up from Heydrich. A nice apartment and enough money to live comfortably. The wax disk and written report of Heydrich’s wife’s threesome has been destroyed.
Kitty insists on seeing Himmler himself. They are released from jail and sent on their merry way to England after exchanging the information in their envelope with Himmler for their freedom. It is the information that Himmler’s been dying to get: official proof that Heydrich has Jewish ancestry. With Himmler’s official permission and help Kitty and Krista are free to go to London.
But Kitty realizes that Heydrich will accuse Walter of treason for letting her leave. Kitty forfeits her chance to flee to London. She goes back to Salon Kitty so Walter will not be sent to a concentration camp for treason.
Krista arrives in London alone. She’s never been without the physical and emotional protection of her mother. She has her freedom now, but it’s a hollow victory.
Non-spy girl Charlotte, normally sweet and forgiving, hardens after the Nazis execute Wilson. Though not aware of the true nature of the Rothenburg Girls’ mission, she makes it known that she is no longer able to turn a blind eye to what’s happening in Berlin with the Nazis. Walter wonders if she could be used for his project without divulging the details to her.
Heydrich finds out it was Kitty who told Himmler his most-guarded secret: his true ethnicity.
British spy Kolchev/Wilson is sent to a concentration camp. The Brits are unable to intervene, and Wilson is executed.
After many close calls and frightening chases, Heidi eludes Heydrich’s men and gets to Sweden safely. She gleefully waits for her reunion with Jakob and Stella, a family at last. She doesn’t realize that Heydrich has captured Jakob and Stella en route to Sweden.
Hardboiled Rina has the chance to avoid the concentration camp if she tells Heydrich that Walter was the mastermind behind trying to stop the Silesia attack. Will she take it?
Engel feels guilty he didn’t stop the false flag radio tower attack. He and Walter sit in Reichstag to listen to Hitler’s big speech. They both sit, horrified, as Hitler declares war on Poland, thus starting World War II.
End of Season One.
Episode 1:
Kitty Schmidt tries to flee Berlin to England with fake papers and foreign currency, but it caught at the border by the S.S. She then has no choice but to comply to the S.S.’s demands, she must allow her brothel to be taken over by the S.S. for “Operation Salon Kitty” headed by Walter Schellenberg, who joined the army as a career move after graduating law school.. Walter’s sociopathic boss Reinhard Heydrich is eager to impress his boss, Chancellor Hitler, which puts Walter in a tough position when none of Kitty’s regular girls at the brothel are suitable to be trained. Though trained to carry out any orders by his leader, Walter has grown increasingly wary of Hitler’s policies. Unbeknownst to anyone but Walter and Heydrich, the brothel is bugged and all conversations are recorded.
A young single woman named Heidi, and several other street prostitutes are caught up in a vice sweep to be trained as spy girls. Knowing this is an opportunity to make some much needed money for a personal matter Heidi is eager to make the final cut.
Walter decides that visiting dignitaries will be guided to the brothel and told use the phrase “I come from Rothenburg” which will ensure that Kitty gives them special treatment. In actual fact this phrase will trigger Kitty to make sure they are directed to one of the new spy prostitutes. The new recruits are nicknamed Rothenburg Girls to differentiate them from Kitty’s regular girls.
The Rothenburg Girls are taken to a special training base in the country. They are given an intense and bizarre six-week military training course on seduction techniques, self-defense, foreign policies and global politics, elocution and language skills, personal hygiene, espionage skills and fashion.
Heydrich visits the training camp and expects to sample some of the goods. Walter is horrified to learn that some of the girls have tested positive for VD despite his best efforts to get the women segregated from nearby male soldiers. Heidi knows that if Heydrich chooses one of the girls with VD there will be disastrous results for the program and especially Walter. Heidi nobly puts her distaste for Heydrich aside and makes sure she is the one who ends up with Heydrich that night.
Heidi is devastated when Walter, thinking he’s doing her a favor, gets Heidi dismissed from the project. Now her plans to pull her life together are in ruins.
Walter is presented a bevy of eight fully-trained, sexy spy girls. Ready for action.
Kitty, not realizing her entire house is bugged now, is overheard by Walter discussing her hidden fake passport and future plans to flee Berlin.
Episode 2:
Walter’s trial run at Salon Kitty is a success. Mussolini’s son-in-law, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Count Ciano is entertained at Salon Kitty and overheard calling Hitler two-faced and expresses a disenchantment with Nazism.
Heydrich is pleased with the results and discusses the project with Admiral Canaris, whose job it is to investigate people’s backgrounds to determine their true ethnicity, which fits into Heydrich’s simmering plan for a his Final Solution.
Heidi begs Walter to be let back into the project and only after she shares her secret reason for wanting in is she at last chosen as one of the spy girls. Rina, Claire and Elke, the other spy girls, all get used to their new surroundings in the brothel and deal with the petty jealousies of Kitty’s regular girls.
In the basement Listener Lukas listens to Elke’s sessions and is charmed by her.
Regular girl Charlotta, who is fluent in Romanian, flirts shamelessly with cute Romanian press attaché customer, but he chooses Brigitte instead which hurts Charlotta’s delicate feelings. Brigitte complains that the new girls get the best customers and she’s stuck with the boring Romanian press attaché. But there are subtle hints that he’s not so boring after all.
Episode 3:
Elke, not realizing the rooms are bugged and that her written reports are being compared to the recordings, thinks nothing of kindly leaving out a minor detail in one of her written reports - - a highly punishable offence. Walter is instructed by Heydrich to escort Heydrich’s wife Lina to their summer house, not realizing he is being trapped into one of Heydrich’s sociopathic cat and mouse games.
Listener Lukas sits in a coffee shop, overhears a woman talking and instantly recognizes her as Elke, one of the girls he listens to. He knows she will be in grave trouble for her report and must decide if he risks his own job and well-being by contacting her to alert her.
Heydrich insists that Walter and his subordinate, Engel joins him for drinks. Heydrich then tells Walter that his drink is poisoned, retribution for imagined misbehavior by Walter and Heydrich’s wife. Heydrich’s sense of humor is notoriously wicked and dry, but Walter and Engel are not sure if he is kidding or not. This is a taut and risky outing for everyone.
One of the mysterious spy girls, Esme, is revealed to actually be a lady of quite high standing in the society, wife of a respected businessman. Her husband not only doesn’t mind his wife sleeping with foreign diplomats for the sake of the country but he seems to thoroughly enjoy it.
Kitty gets a second chance to flee the country, but finds that her well-meaning housekeeper Helga has burned the fake passport for Kitty’s own good.
Episode 4:
Elke has been told by Listener Lukas that the house is bugged. She shares this information with one of the sweet regular girls, Krista, who in turn tells Kitty.
Walter’s wife Monika convinces him that they should take in Heidi’s half Jewish three year old daughter, Stella, who has been posing as an Aryan child until now in the household of a German couple.
Claire and some of the other Rothenburg girls try to figure out who one of their “special guests” is, no one knows why he is so important.
Kitty has a visit from a Jewish friend who tries to convince Kitty that things are changing for the worst in Germany.
Admiral Canaris does a background check on young Stella and figures out that Heidi is her mother and the father is Jewish, which means Heidi broke the Nuremburg Laws forbidding Aryans and Jews from marrying or having sexual relations.
Rina innocently leaves a minor detail out of her report and is scolded for it, which leads her to figure out that the rooms are bugged, but she keeps this information to herself instead of helping the other girls. She also bonds with Walter over their mutual love of music, it turns out rough and tough Rina is a talented musician and gains Walter’s admiration.
A Listener is assigned to record to the young “special guest.” No one seems to know who he is.
The Romanian press attaché visits the salon again, and once again avoids Charlotta even though there is a clear mutual attraction. He again ends up with Brigitte who shows clear signs of being very anti-Semitic and approves of everything the Nazis are doing. Outside of the building later the Romanian notices some cables that look out of place.
Episode 5:
Hitler is itching to get dirt on a very important Big Wig so he sends him to the brothel and is awaiting the report from the Listeners.
When Kitty and Krista are alone Krista calls Kitty “Mother.” Kitty shushes her and tells her to never ever call her that, especially in this house where the walls have ears. If the S.S. knows that Krista is Kitty’s daughter they will use that information against them both so they must never let anyone know. But someone does overhear. Brigitte hears. She keeps it to herself…for now.
It is revealed that Heidi’s boyfriend Jakob, with whom she has a child, has been released from jail after serving a six month term for inciting a riot at a protest against Hitler’s ever-encroaching policies. Heidi’s true plan is for her and Jakob to leave Berlin with their daughter and live as a family. The problem is that Jakob is Jewish, and their daughter Stella is considered a mischlinge or “mongrel.” Stella can never be considered Aryan, despite the fact that Heidi is her mother.
Though instructed not to be in the front parlor, regular girl Brigitte ventures in to grab a magazine. She spies the Big Wig enter, can immediately tell he’s a big fish from his uniform. She’s resentful that the Rothenburg Girls get all of the good clients. She flirts shamelessly with him until Helga shoos her out.
Upon hearing the Big Wig utter “I come from Rothenburg” Kitty immediately grabs the book with the Rothenburg Girls photos and profiles so he can choose one. But he states that wants Brigitte, a non-spy girl. Kitty says that she is unavailable and helps him choose another. But he insists on having Brigitte and implies that she should not refuse him. Not knowing what else to do, Kitty sends the Big Wig off with Brigitte, who knows nothing of the spy ring tactics.
On another uncomfortable evening out with Heydrich and his wife Lina she tells Walter that she’s intent on having an affair with someone to get back at Heydrich’s many affairs. Walter is petrified that he’ll be her target, but she tells him not to worry. Lina is looking for someone that would really humiliate and enrage Heydrich, and much to Walter’s surprise she tells him that Heydrich respects Walter too much. An affair with Walter would not truly anger her husband.
Kitty and Helga fret over the Big Wig upstairs. Brigitte’s session with him will yield zero information and Walter will not be happy, not to mention Walter’s bosses.
Elke and Listener Lukas risk their safety to have a secret, romantic date.
Kitty and Helga devise a plan to cover up why a non-Rothenburg Girl took the Big Wig upstairs, wasting a prime opportunity to gather intel. Kitty uses her diplomatic skills to keep Big Wig on the premises for quite a while in her private office. Helga arranges for one of the Rothenburg Girls to sidle in and catch his eye. Kitty gallantly offers to give him a second trip upstairs for the evening. Hitler will get his intel after all.
Episode 6:
August 24, 1939. Walter arrives at Salon Kitty for a routine inspection only to find all the girls and staff have the morning off and only Kitty remains. They are startled to hear the air raid siren go off. Quick-thinking Kitty grabs two bottles of champagne as they rush down to the bomb shelter. While waiting hours for the all-clear sign Kitty and Walter get a bit tipsy and for the first time they truly get to know each other and realize they have more in common than they thought. Kitty is distressed when Walter explains what the Non-Aggression Pact that Germany just signed with Russia truly means: Hitler has now cleared the path for an invasion on Poland and war will be coming soon. (bottle episode)
Episode 7:
Heydrich worries that one of his colleagues is going to steal his thunder by finding a reason to attack Poland so he plots a cold-blooded scheme to beat them to it. He plans a false attack on a German radio tower in Silesia. He will pluck a handful of poor souls from a concentration camp, dress them in German uniforms, have them taken to the radio tower and shot to death. Polish ammo and guns will be strewn about to make it look like Poland soldiers attacked them. Germans will be enraged and approve of Hitler’s retaliation.
Walter’s underling Engel is determined to rise up in the Reich as he plans on making the military his career. He finds out about Heydrich’s scheme, but knows that if he does anything to subvert Heydrich’s plan he will be demoted or discharged so he keeps quiet.
The “special guest” returns. Though they don’t know who he is, they are careful to give him the full Rothenburg treatment. The best girls, the best liquor, the best time.
Elke and Listener Lukas spend the night together, struggle to keep their blooming relationship a secret.
Kitty learns that her old friend Sarah Weinberg and her husband have been sent to a concentration camp for insisting on getting their business back from the Nazis. Kitty feels guilty that she did nothing to help them.
Admiral Canaris lets Walter know that he was assigned to investigate Heidi’s background and knows her little girl is half Jewish, making Heidi guilty of breaking the Nuremberg Laws. But then he admits to Walter that he’s been secretly sabotaging the Third Reich for years and he urges Walter to do the same. Walter discovers Heydrich’s sinister plan to attempt a false flag operation in Silesia, a German regions, that will set off a war. Canaris hints at the reason why he’s safe from Heydrich’s clutches: he has secret information about Heydrich’s true ethnicity that Heydrich wants suppressed.
Lina chooses her target for making her husband jealous, she has a threesome with Edgar, a high society businessman who happens to be spy girl Esme’s husband. They engage in a lurid threesome, news of which soon gets to Heydrich’s ears via the walls with ears in Salon Kitty.
Brigitte is once again stuck with the Romanian press attaché, Kolchev. Charlotta confronts Kolchev about why he avoids her despite their undeniable attraction. He admits that he’s been avoiding her because since she speaks Romanian and has a Romanian background that she would too easily be able to detect that he is in fact not Romanian. He’s a British spy named Roger Wilson and he’s been sent to spy on the house. The British have now tapped into the lines and the Brits are spying on the people in the basement who are spying on those upstairs! Brigitte also finds out the house is bugged and plans to use this information against her fellow housemates.
Episode 8:
Kitty and Walter join forces after they realize their common enemy is Heydrich.
Spy girl Rina’s past career as a con artist comes in handy as does the fact that Elke’s new boyfriend is Listener Lukas. They all use the bugging system of the salon to gather crucial information that Walter can use to stop Heydrich’s false flag attack on Silesia, therefore preventing, or at least delaying an all-out war.
After being sexually humiliated by his wife, Heydrich visits Salon Kitty and remembers Heidi from their tryst at the training camp. He chooses to be with her for the night. Of course he orders that all recording devices are turned off during his “inspection.” Heidi is aware of Heydrich’s delicate mental state and uses her training to her advantage to soothe this beast in her bed and tells him what he wants to hear.
Brigitte “accidentally” lets it slip to the S.S. that Krista is Kitty’s daughter.
Elke and Listener Lukas are caught having a relationship, a highly punishable offence.
Episode 9:
August 31, 1939. Kitty helps Walter with his plans to derail the Silesia attack. In return he arranges for a fake passport for her and hints that he’ll look the other way so she and Krista can finally flee to England. Canaris uses his position to get false papers for Stella showing her background as Aryan so Heidi can take her to Sweden where they will meet up with Jakob.
Heydrich, already humiliated over his wife’s threesome affair with Esme and Edgar, is pushed further into fury when Heidi “stands him up” – she has already begun her exodus. Heidi doesn’t get Stella’s Aryan paperwork in time, so Stella must go with her father Jakob, and Heidi must make her way to Sweden alone.
In order to make the listening team’s report more complete they ask Kitty to try and get a bit more information about the “special guest.” After his third deluxe experience visit to the house Kitty engages him in a bit of casual chat before he leaves. Turns out he’s a farmer…from Rothenburg. He’s nobody. When he used the code phrase “I come from Rothenburg,” he was merely stating a fact.
Kolchev is found out as a British spy by the S.S. and a horrified Charlotta watches them cart him away.
Engel’s guilt over not warning anyone about the Silesia attack is placated by the promotion he is given for doing the right thing.
Heydrich gets revenge on Edgar for sleeping with his wife by using him against his will, fatally, in the Silesia false flag attack.
Meek little Elke and Listener Lukas are about to be severely punished but suddenly blackmail Heydrich by letting him know that they alone have the recording of his wife having the threesome and are willing to give it to Heydrich and tell no one in exchange for letting Elke and Listener Lukas go off together to live happily ever after.
Walter, Rina and Listener Lukas try but fail to stop Heydrich’s false flag attack on Silesia.
Episode 10:
September 1, 1939. Germany is shocked by the (false) attack by Poland at the Gleiwitz Radio Tower in Silesia. Hitler and Heydrich have tricked German citizens into thinking Poland has viciously attacked Germany. Citizens now feel provoked and approve of a war.
Helga and Kitty use the Nazi’s own bugging equipment against them to help Kitty and Krista get a head start on their journey to London. But Kitty is armed with a secret weapon, an envelope from Walter with very important ammunition, if needed.
Hell-bent on revenge, Heydrich finds out that Heidi is illegally fleeing and sends his troops to intercept her. Kitty and Krista get caught by the S.S. and thrown in jail.
Rina is caught trying to stop the Silesia radio tower attack and taken before Heydrich. She plays a beautiful Wagner song on the piano, which impresses Heydrich. He joins her on violin and they share a lovely musical moment, connecting with each other over the music. Afterward without hesitation he sends Rina to a concentration camp for treason.
Elke and Listener Lukas get a nice, cushy set up from Heydrich. A nice apartment and enough money to live comfortably. The wax disk and written report of Heydrich’s wife’s threesome has been destroyed.
Kitty insists on seeing Himmler himself. They are released from jail and sent on their merry way to England after exchanging the information in their envelope with Himmler for their freedom. It is the information that Himmler’s been dying to get: official proof that Heydrich has Jewish ancestry. With Himmler’s official permission and help Kitty and Krista are free to go to London.
But Kitty realizes that Heydrich will accuse Walter of treason for letting her leave. Kitty forfeits her chance to flee to London. She goes back to Salon Kitty so Walter will not be sent to a concentration camp for treason.
Krista arrives in London alone. She’s never been without the physical and emotional protection of her mother. She has her freedom now, but it’s a hollow victory.
Non-spy girl Charlotte, normally sweet and forgiving, hardens after the Nazis execute Wilson. Though not aware of the true nature of the Rothenburg Girls’ mission, she makes it known that she is no longer able to turn a blind eye to what’s happening in Berlin with the Nazis. Walter wonders if she could be used for his project without divulging the details to her.
Heydrich finds out it was Kitty who told Himmler his most-guarded secret: his true ethnicity.
British spy Kolchev/Wilson is sent to a concentration camp. The Brits are unable to intervene, and Wilson is executed.
After many close calls and frightening chases, Heidi eludes Heydrich’s men and gets to Sweden safely. She gleefully waits for her reunion with Jakob and Stella, a family at last. She doesn’t realize that Heydrich has captured Jakob and Stella en route to Sweden.
Hardboiled Rina has the chance to avoid the concentration camp if she tells Heydrich that Walter was the mastermind behind trying to stop the Silesia attack. Will she take it?
Engel feels guilty he didn’t stop the false flag radio tower attack. He and Walter sit in Reichstag to listen to Hitler’s big speech. They both sit, horrified, as Hitler declares war on Poland, thus starting World War II.
End of Season One.
Download a PDF of "The Rothenburg Girls" one-sheet.
Download a PDF of "The Rothenburg Girls" dossier.
(Yes, they had paperclips & Sellotape [Scotch tape] in 1939.)
Download a PDF of "The Rothenburg Girls" TV proposal (including episode guide).
Contact Jan to read the pilot.
Download a PDF of "The Rothenburg Girls" dossier.
(Yes, they had paperclips & Sellotape [Scotch tape] in 1939.)
Download a PDF of "The Rothenburg Girls" TV proposal (including episode guide).
Contact Jan to read the pilot.