The Austrian writer Leopold Ritter von Sacher-Masoch (1836-1895) made his living in the 19th century by writing lots novels and novellas according to “sex sells” principle. He also wrote under the pen names Charlotte Arand and Zoë von Rodenbach.
Every now and then he included painful, servile and submissive encounters. Best known are his description in “Venus im Pelz” – Venus in fur which the German psychiatrist Richard von Krafft-Ebing quoted in his book “Psychopathia Sexualis” adn the word Sadomasochism was coined to describe painful sexual practices to appease carnal lust.
His whole life the author faught against rising antisemitism in Europe. He was well published and counted authors like Victor Hugo, Émile Zola and Henrik Ibsen among his admirers.