"The Rothenburg Girls"
Proposal for TV Series
True story of a Berlin madam blackmailed to let Hitler’s top Nazis train her prostitutes as spies to gather intel on top dignitaries who visit the brothel as WWII looms.
Berlin, 1939, on the brink of war. Madame 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.
The intent was to send visiting foreign dignitaries and German allies to a bugged brothel in an attempt to listen in on their assignations with the women and glean any secret information they might be withholding from Hitler.
The intent was to send visiting foreign dignitaries and German allies to a bugged brothel in an attempt to listen in on their assignations with the women and glean any secret information they might be withholding from Hitler.
Caught trying to flee to England and threatened with going to a concentration camp, Kitty is now forced to share her brothel with the SS. 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.
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. And all the while she must stay one step ahead of the cruel and manipulative Reinhard Heydrich -- the man Hitler called "the man with the iron heart."
And in a heroic move that puts her very life at stake she and Walter eventually join forces, go behind Hitler and Heydrich's back and to try and prevent World War II.
And in a heroic move that puts her very life at stake she and Walter eventually join forces, go behind Hitler and Heydrich's back and to try and prevent World War II.
Historical Backdrop
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 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.
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 military simply 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 military simply 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.
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.
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 being presented with his eight perfect, sexy, spy girls, ready and waiting for orders after weeks of training. Kitty’s intent on finding an 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, and life in Salon Kitty becomes a miniature version of the war that is looming 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 the German Gleiwitz 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, and life in Salon Kitty becomes a miniature version of the war that is looming 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 the German Gleiwitz radio tower that will spark World War II.
Gestapo Headquarters
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 characters 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.
Madame Kitty
Characters
Kitty Schmidt is the madame 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 keeps her in line, but her strong ties with England are known by the Gestapo and mark her as a potential flight risk. Kitty’s been made an offer by SS officer Walter Schellenberg: let the SS infiltrate her brothel and they’ll look the other way and let her keep running the brothel with her existing girls. Not wanting the SS in her life, she politely declines. But it’s soon clear this an offer she cannot and should not refuse.
Kitty Schmidt is the madame 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 keeps her in line, but her strong ties with England are known by the Gestapo and mark her as a potential flight risk. Kitty’s been made an offer by SS officer Walter Schellenberg: let the SS infiltrate her brothel and they’ll look the other way and let her keep running the brothel with her existing girls. Not wanting the SS in her life, she politely declines. But it’s soon clear this an offer she cannot and should not refuse.
Walter Schellenberg
SS Obersturmführer Walter Schellenberg joined the German army when he realized law school was not for him. 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.
Reinhard Heydrich
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.
Lina Heydrich
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.
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. Neither 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.
Admiral Canaris
Admiral Wilhelm Canaris is head of the Abwehr, the defense ministry. His job was to protect Germany from foreign espionage. Kind, fatherly, quiet, and unknown to anyone Canaris had long been disillusioned with the Third Reich and was secretly sabotaging his own department’s efforts. He was friends with Walter Schellenberg and undoubtedly encouraged Walter to follow his conscience as Canaris did and try to stop the war. Canaris is eventually charged with high treason and went to his death claiming that he did what he thought was moral and just.
Count Ciano
The Italian Foreign Minister Count Galeazzo Ciano who also happens to be Mussolini’s son-in-law. 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 his warm feelings for Italy cool. Sweet nothings whispered at Salon Kitty change global policy!
[The above people are actual historical figures. The below characters are fictionalized for the TV series.]
SS Untersturmführer Eric 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 Listener 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 them even though he’s never met them. Protocol forbids interaction with the girls, but he can’t help but reach out to Elke to warn her about a danger she is in.
The Rothenburg 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.
The Regular Girls:
Krista is a plain but pretty girl, always has a cheerful outlook. Unknown to anyone, she is Kitty’s daughter, a fact they know they must keep from the S.S. or it will be used against them if and when they decide to flee.
Brigitte’s father was a eugenics professor, the basis for the “scientific racism” that the Nazis have based their Final Solution plan around. Brigitte also believes in eugenics, also studied genetics and would love to put her scientific training to use to help the Nazis get rid of the genetically inferior population in Germany.
Charlotta is a perky, yet sometimes childish woman who believes prostitution is beneath her. She’d probably throw any of her fellow workers under a bus to become the mistress of a wealthy, important man who can pamper her.
Marita is a quiet, shy woman who would love to make enough money to go back to the small town she’s from and support her mother and daughter she left behind.
[The above people are actual historical figures. The below characters are fictionalized for the TV series.]
SS Untersturmführer Eric 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 Listener 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 them even though he’s never met them. Protocol forbids interaction with the girls, but he can’t help but reach out to Elke to warn her about a danger she is in.
The Rothenburg 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.
The Regular Girls:
Krista is a plain but pretty girl, always has a cheerful outlook. Unknown to anyone, she is Kitty’s daughter, a fact they know they must keep from the S.S. or it will be used against them if and when they decide to flee.
Brigitte’s father was a eugenics professor, the basis for the “scientific racism” that the Nazis have based their Final Solution plan around. Brigitte also believes in eugenics, also studied genetics and would love to put her scientific training to use to help the Nazis get rid of the genetically inferior population in Germany.
Charlotta is a perky, yet sometimes childish woman who believes prostitution is beneath her. She’d probably throw any of her fellow workers under a bus to become the mistress of a wealthy, important man who can pamper her.
Marita is a quiet, shy woman who would love to make enough money to go back to the small town she’s from and support her mother and daughter she left behind.
Episodes
Episode 1: After being caught trying to flee Berlin to England with fake papers and foreign currency Kitty Schmidt has no choice but to comply and allow her brothel to be taken over by the S.S. for “Operation Salon Kitty” headed by Walter Schellenberg. 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. 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. She’s devastated when Walter, thinking he’s doing her a favor, gets Heidi dismissed from the project. 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 she is 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. A Listener in the basement 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.
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. The Listener 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. 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 the Listener 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. Claire and some of the listeners try and figure out who one of their “special guests” is, no one seems to know 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 leaves something out of her report and is scolded, 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. The Listener is also 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: 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.” 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. 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. Elke and her Listener risk their safety to have a secret date.
Episode 6: August 23, 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. (This will be a bottle episode; all takes place in the air raid shelter with only Walter and Kitty.)
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. Walter’s underling Engel is determined to rise up in the Reich. He finds out about the scheme, but knows that if he does anything to subvert Heydrich’s plan he will be demoted so he keeps quiet. Elke and the Listener 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 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 knows 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 the Listener. 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 the Listener 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.” 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. 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 attack. Meek little Elke and the Listener 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 the Listener go off together to live happily ever after. Walter, Rina and the Listener 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. 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 they are 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., but Kitty insists on seeing Himmler himself. They are 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. Rina is caught trying to stop the Silesia 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 the Listener 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. With Himmler’s official permission and help Kitty and Krista are free to go to London. But after realizing that Heydrich will accuse Walter of treason for letting her leave Kitty forfeits her chance at fleeing to London. She goes back to Salon Kitty so Walter will not be sent to a concentration camp for treason. Hitler declares war on Poland. Engel feels guilty he didn’t stop the Gleiwitz attack – sits in Reichstag listens, mortified, as Hitler declares war. Krista arrives in London alone. 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. After much drama and frightening chases, Heidi eludes Heydrich’s men and gets to Sweden safely. She doesn’t realize that Heydrich has captured Jakob and Stella en route to Sweden. 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, a highly treasonable act.
Episode 1: After being caught trying to flee Berlin to England with fake papers and foreign currency Kitty Schmidt has no choice but to comply and allow her brothel to be taken over by the S.S. for “Operation Salon Kitty” headed by Walter Schellenberg. 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. 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. She’s devastated when Walter, thinking he’s doing her a favor, gets Heidi dismissed from the project. 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 she is 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. A Listener in the basement 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.
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. The Listener 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. 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 the Listener 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. Claire and some of the listeners try and figure out who one of their “special guests” is, no one seems to know 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 leaves something out of her report and is scolded, 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. The Listener is also 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: 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.” 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. 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. Elke and her Listener risk their safety to have a secret date.
Episode 6: August 23, 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. (This will be a bottle episode; all takes place in the air raid shelter with only Walter and Kitty.)
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. Walter’s underling Engel is determined to rise up in the Reich. He finds out about the scheme, but knows that if he does anything to subvert Heydrich’s plan he will be demoted so he keeps quiet. Elke and the Listener 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 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 knows 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 the Listener. 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 the Listener 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.” 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. 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 attack. Meek little Elke and the Listener 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 the Listener go off together to live happily ever after. Walter, Rina and the Listener 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. 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 they are 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., but Kitty insists on seeing Himmler himself. They are 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. Rina is caught trying to stop the Silesia 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 the Listener 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. With Himmler’s official permission and help Kitty and Krista are free to go to London. But after realizing that Heydrich will accuse Walter of treason for letting her leave Kitty forfeits her chance at fleeing to London. She goes back to Salon Kitty so Walter will not be sent to a concentration camp for treason. Hitler declares war on Poland. Engel feels guilty he didn’t stop the Gleiwitz attack – sits in Reichstag listens, mortified, as Hitler declares war. Krista arrives in London alone. 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. After much drama and frightening chases, Heidi eludes Heydrich’s men and gets to Sweden safely. She doesn’t realize that Heydrich has captured Jakob and Stella en route to Sweden. 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, a highly treasonable act.
