LiliElbe

FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

LiliIlseElvenes,betterknownasLiliElbe(28December
188213September1931),wasaDanishtransgender
womanandoneofthefirstidentifiable[1]recipientsofsex
reassignmentsurgery.[2]ElbewasbornEinarMagnus
AndreasWegener[3]andwasasuccessfulpainterunderthat
name.ShealsopresentedasLili(sometimesspelledLily)
andwaspubliclyintroducedasEinar'ssister.After
successfullytransitioningin1930,shemadealegalname
changetoLiliIlseElvenes[4]andstoppedpaintingaltogether.

LiliElbe

Thename"LiliElbe"wasmadeupbyCopenhagenjournalist
Louise"Loulou"Lassen.[5]Lilidiedfromcomplications
involvingauterustransplant.[6][7][8]
Herautobiography,ManintoWoman,wasposthumously
publishedin1933.[9]
Elbe'syearofbirthissometimesstatedas1886.Thisappears
tobefromabookabouther,whichhassomefactschanged
toprotecttheidentitiesofthepersonsinvolved.Factual
referencestothelifeofElbe'swifeGerdaGottliebindicate
thatthe1882dateiscorrectsincetheyclearlymarriedwhile
atcollegein1904.[10][11]ItishighlylikelythatElbewasan
intersexperson,[12][13][14][15]althoughthathasbeen
disputed.[16]

Contents
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

LiliElbein1926
Born

EinarMagnusAndreasWegener
28December1882
Vejle,Denmark

Died

13September1931(aged48)
Dresden,Germany

Nationality

Danish

Othernames LiliIlseElvenes

Marriageandmodelling
Surgeriesanddissolutionofmarriage
Death
LiliElbexDoraRichter:thefirstsex
reassignmentsurgery
Inpopularculture
References
Furtherreading
Externallinks

Marriageandmodelling
WegenermetGerdaGottliebwhiletheywerestudentsattheRoyalDanishAcademyofFineArtsin
Copenhagen,[17]andtheymarriedin1904,whenGottliebwas19andWegenerwas22.[10]Thetwoofthem
workedasillustrators,withElbespecializinginlandscapepaintings,whileGottliebillustratedbooksand
fashionmagazines.TheybothtraveledthroughItalyandFrance,eventuallysettlinginParisin1912,where
Elbecouldliveopenlyasawoman,andGottliebalesbian.[10]ElbereceivedtheNeuhausensprizein1907and

exhibitedatKunstnernesEfterrsudstilling(theArtistsFallExhibition),atthe
VejleArtMuseum,andintheSaloonandSalond'AutommeinParis.Sheis
representedatVejleArtMuseuminDenmark.[18]

LiliElbec.1920

Elbestarteddressinginwomen'sclothesafterfillinginforGottlieb'sabsentee
modelshewasaskedtowearstockingsandheelssoherlegscouldsubstitute
forthoseofthemodel.Elbefeltsurprisinglycomfortableintheclothingand
beganidentifyingasawoman.[18]Overtime,Gottliebbecamefamousforher
paintingsofbeautifulwomenwithhaunting,almondshapedeyesdressedin
chicfashions.In1913,theunsuspectingpublicwasshockedtodiscoverthatthe
modelwhohadinspiredGottlieb'sdepictionsofpetitesfemmesfataleswasin
factGottlieb'sspouse,"Elbe".[10]

Inthe1920sand1930s,Elberegularlypresentedasawoman,attendingvarious
festivitiesandentertainingguestsinherhouse.Oneofthethingsshelikedtodowasdisappear,wearingher
modelingfashionsintothestreetsofParisinthethrongsofrevelersduringtheCarnival.[19][20]Elbewas
introducedbyGottliebasEinarWegener'ssisterwhenshewasdressedinfemaleattire.[2]Onlyherclosest
friendsknewonceshehadtransitioned.

Surgeriesanddissolutionofmarriage
In1930,ElbewenttoGermanyforsexreassignmentsurgery,whichwas
experimentalatthetime.Aseriesoffouroperationswerecarriedoutovera
periodoftwoyears.[20]Thefirstsurgery,removalofthetesticles,wasmade
underthesupervisionofsexologistMagnusHirschfeldinBerlin.[20]Therestof
Elbe'ssurgerieswerecarriedoutbyKurtWarnekros,adoctorattheDresden
MunicipalWomen'sClinic.[21]Thesecondoperationwastoimplantanovary
ontoherabdominalmusculature,thethirdtoremovethepenisandthe
scrotum,[22]andthefourthtotransplantauterusandconstructavaginal
canal.[6][23]
AtthetimeofElbe'slastsurgery,hercasewasalreadyasensationin
newspapersofDenmarkandGermany.ADanishcourtinvalidatedthe
Wegeners'marriageinOctober1930,[24]andElbemanagedtogethersexand
LiliElbebyGerdaGottlieb
namelegallychanged,includingreceivingapassportasLiliIlseElvenes.She
stoppedpainting,believingittobesomethingthatwaspartoftheidentityof
Einar.SinceElbeandGottliebwerenolongermanandwife,theirmarriagewasofficiallydissolved.Afterthe
dissolutionofhermarriage,ElbereturnedtoDresdenforafinalsurgery.
Elbeisbelievedtohavebeenintersex,[8]butthedetailsofherintersexconditionareunclear.Shecertainlyhad
afemininebodyandfacialfeaturesthatallowedhertopassasayoungwomanbetterthanasaman.When
presentinginpublicasaman,shewasoftentakenforayoungwomanmasqueradingasamanintrousers.
Hormonalassaystakenjustbeforeherfirstsurgeryindicatedmorefemalethanmalehormonespresent.Some
reportsindicatethatElbealreadyhadrudimentaryovariesinherabdomen.[6]ItislikelythatshehadanXXY
sexchromosomekaryotype(Klinefeltersyndrome),aconditionthatwasnotmedicallyrecognizeduntil
1942.[25]

Death
ElbebeganarelationshipwithFrenchartdealerClaudeLejeune,whomshewantedtomarryandwithwhom
shewantedtohavechildren.Shewaslookingforwardtoherfinalsurgeryinvolvingauterustransplant.[7][8][23]

InJune1931,Elbehadherfourthoperation,whichconsistedofimplantingauterusandtheconstructionofa
vagina,bothofwhichwerenewandexperimentalproceduresatthattime.[6]Herimmunesystemrejectedthe
uterus,however,andshedevelopedaninfection.ShediedonSeptember13,1931,threemonthsafterthe
surgery,ofcardiacarrestbroughtonbytheinfection.[6][7][8][23][26]

LiliElbexDoraRichter:thefirstsexreassignmentsurgery
Elbewasnotthefirsttransgenderwomantoundergosexreassignmentsurgery.DoraRichter/DrchenR.,born
asRudolphRichter(b.1891sometimesreferredtoasRudolphR.),whoevenearlyoninchildhooddisplayed
a"tendencytoactandcarryoninafeminineway",wascastratedatherownrequestin1922,whenMagnus
Hirschfeld[27]arrangedforabilateralorchiectomy(castration)forherandbeganinvestigatingtheimpactthat
reducedtestosteronehadonheranatomy.SheworkedasadomesticattheMagnusHirschfeldInstitutefor
SexualResearch,dressedasawoman.HirschfeldaffectionatelycalledherDrchen(littleDora)andpublished
hertransformationprocessasatranswomaninhisworkongenderstudiestitledGeschlechtskunde.Institute
physicianFelixAbraham,publishedDrchen'sgendertransformationasacasestudy:"Hercastrationhadthe
effectalbeitnotveryextensiveofmakingherbodybecamefuller,restrictingherbeardgrowth,making
visiblethefirstsignsofbreastdevelopment,andgivingthepelvicfatpad...amorefeminineshape."[5]
InJune1931,whenDoraRichter/DrchenR.wasabout40yearsold,herpeniswasamputatedbytheInstitute
physicianDr.LevyLenz,andthenanartificialvaginawassurgicallygraftedbytheBerlinsurgeonProf.Dr.
Gohrbandt.[28]Dorabecamethefirsttransgenderwomanofwhomrecordsremaintoundergovaginoplasty.
AccordingtoDr.FelixAbraham,apsychiatristworkingattheInstituteforSexualScience,her"firststepto
feminizationwasmadebymeansofcastration"in1922."Afterthistherewasalongpause,untilthebeginning
oftheyear1931,whenthepenisamputationwasdoneandinJune,theheredescribedsurgery"ahighly
experimentalvaginoplastyperformedbyDrErwinGohrbandt,(18901965).[5]Thehighlyexperimental
operation(whichincludedthefirstattemptatvaginoplasty)wasaremarkablesuccessandtheresulting
publicitywasenoughtolureLilitotheInstitute.Lili'scasewasfarmorehighprofilethanDrchen's.[29]
ElbebecamethesecondtransgenderwomantobenefitfromGohrbandt'svaginoplastytechniquein1931.Her
castrationandpenectomyhadbeenperformedbyDr.LudwigLevyLenz(18891966)thepreviousyear.These
preliminarieshavesometimescausedconfusionoverthedateofherreassignmentsurgery.[5]Gohrbandt's
surgerydeliberatelyleftremnantsofthescrotumintact,withaviewtomodifyingtheseintolabiaatalaterdate,
butforreasonsthatareunclear,hedidnotperformthisfurtherprocedurehimself.Instead,Elvenes'casewas
takenoverbyDr.KurtWarnekros(18821949),amemberoftheNaziParty,attheDresdenWomen'sClinic.
Here,thelabiaplastyandasubsequentsurgicalrevisionled,inthepreantibioticage,toElbe'sdeathfrom
infectioninSeptember1931.[5]
TheritualbookburningattheInstituteforSexualSciencebyNazistudentsinMay1933,theobliterationofthe
DresdenWomen'sClinicanditsrecordsintheAlliedbombingraidsofFebruary1945,andthemythmaking
processitself,hasleftgapsandinconsistenciesintheLiliElbenarrativethatmayneverberesolved.[5]

Inpopularculture
TheLGBTfilmfestivalMIXCopenhagengivesfour"Lili"awardsnamedafterElbe.[30]
In2000,DavidEbershoffwroteTheDanishGirl,afictionalizedaccountofElbe'slife.[31]Itwasan
internationalbestsellerandwastranslatedintoadozenlanguages.In2015,itwasmadeintoafilm,alsocalled
TheDanishGirl,producedbyGailMutruxandNeilLaButeandstarringEddieRedmayneasElbe.Thefilm
waswellreceivedattheVeniceFilmFestivalinSeptember2015,[32]althoughithasbeencriticizedforits

castingofacisgendermantoplayatransgenderwoman.[33]Boththenovelandthefilmomittedtopics
includingGottlieb'ssexuality,whichisevidencedbythesubjectsinhereroticdrawings,[34]andthe
disintegrationofGottliebandElbe'srelationshipaftertheirannulment.[35]

References
1.Hirschfeld,Magnus.ChirurgischeEingriffebeiAnomaliendesSexuallebens:TherapiederGegenwart,pp.67,451
455
2.LiliElbe(http://web.archive.org/web/20071010080625/http://andrejkoymasky.com/liv/fam/bioe1/elbe1.html).
andrejkoymasky.com.17May2003
3.Meyer,Sabine(2015),WieLilizueinemrichtigenMdchenwurdeLiliElbe:ZurKonstruktionvonGeschlecht
undIdentittzwischenMedialisierung,RegulierungundSubjektivierung,p.15,pp.312313.
4.(Meyer2015,pp.311314)
5."ATransTimelineTransMediaWatch".TransMediaWatch.RetrievedFebruary3,2016.
6."LiliElbeBiography".Biography.com.A&ETelevisionNetworks.RetrievedDecember11,2015.
7."LiliElbe:thetransgenderartistbehindTheDanishGirl".ThisWeekMagazine.18September2015.Retrieved
1February2016.
8."TheDanishGirl(2015)".HistoryVSHollywood.com.HistoryvsHollywood.Retrieved1February2016.
9.Worthen,Meredith(n.d.)."LiliElbePainter".Biography.com.RetrievedAugust15,2016.
10.SheandShe:TheMarriageofGerdaandEinarWegener(http://web.archive.org/web/20070927182419/http://www.cph
post.dk/get/59398.html).TheCopenhagenPost.3July2000
11."EjnerMogensWegener,28121882,VejleStillinger:Maler".Politietsregisterblade.dk.Retrieved30December
2011.
12.Hoyer,ed.,Niels(2004).Manintowoman:thefirstsexchange,aportraitofLiliElbe:thetrueandremarkable
transformationofthepainterEinarWegener.London:BlueBoatBooks.pp.vii,2627,172.ISBN9780954707200.
13."LiliElbe'sautobiography,ManintoWoman".OIIAustraliaIntersexAustralia.OIIAustralia.Retrieved
1September2015.
14.Vacco,Patrick(29April2014)."LesMiserablesActorEddieRedmaynetoStarasQueerArtistLiliElbe".The
Advocate.Retrieved1September2015.
15."CouldthisbeEddieRedmayne'smostchallengingrole?".DailyMail.1September2015.Retrieved1September
2015.
16.Kaufmann,Jodi(January2007)."Transfiguration:anarrativeanalysisofmaletofemaletranssexual".International
JournalofQualitativeStudiesinEducation.20(1):113.doi:10.1080/09518390600923768.
17."Conway'sVintageTreasures".Vintagemovieposter.com.Retrieved8April2014.
18.TheArtsandTransgender(http://web.archive.org/web/20060618025105/http://www.renaissanceblackpool.org/art.htm
l).renaissanceblackpool.org
19.GerdaWegener(http://web.archive.org/web/20080110152844/http://home.get2net.dk/abraken/Gerda.htm).get2net.dk
20."LiliElbe(18861931)".LGBTHistoryMonth.Retrieved8April2014.
21.Brown,Kay(1997)LiliElbe(http://web.archive.org/web/20080308205659/http://www.transhistory.net/history/TH_Li
li_Elbe.html).Transhistory.net.
22.(Meyer2015,pp.271281)
23.Harrod,Horatia(8December2015)."ThetragictruestorybehindTheDanishGirl".TheTelegraph.Retrieved
11December2015.
24.(Meyer2015,pp.308311)
25."Matt&AndrejKoymaskyFamousGLTBLiliElbe".HistoryVSHollywood.com.Matt&AndrejKoymasky.17
May2003.Retrieved2February2016.
26."LiliElbe(EinarWegener)18821931".Danmarkshistorien.dk(inDanish).Danmarkshistorien.dk.10September
2013.Retrieved2February2016.
27."MagnusHirschfeldandtheQuestforSexualFreedom:AHistoryoftheFirstInternationalSexualFreedom
Movement".GoogleBooks.RetrievedMay14,2016.
28."RudolphR./Dorchen".InstituteforSexualScience(19191933).RetrievedFebruary3,2016.
29."Dorchen'sDayProvidentia".drvitelli.typepad.com.December5,2010.RetrievedFebruary3,2016.
30."InCompetition".MIXCopenhagen.RetrievedMarch5,2015.
31."BOOKSOFTHETIMESRadicalChangeandEnduringLove".TheNewYorkTimes.February14,2000.
RetrievedDecember11,2015.
32." 'TheDanishGirl'WowsWith10MinuteStandingOvationInVenicePremiere".Deadline.5September2015.
Retrieved6September2015.
33.Denham,Jess(12August2015)."TheDanishGirl:EddieRedmaynedefendscastingastransartistLiliElbeafter
backlash".TheIndependent.Retrieved7March2016.

34."TheIncrediblyTrueAdventuresofGerdaWegenerandLiliElbe".coilhouse.net.August3,2012.Retrieved
January26,2016.
35."ReadingGroupNotesTheDanishGirl".allenandunwin.com.RetrievedDecember10,2015.

Furtherreading
Manintowoman:anauthenticrecordofachangeofsex/LiliElbeeditedbyNielsHoyer[i.e.E.
Harthern]translatedfromtheGermanbyH.J.Stenningintrod.byNormanHaire.London,Jarrold
Publisher's,1933(OriginalDanished.publishedin1931undertitle:Framandtilkvinde.Lateredition:
Manintowoman:thefirstsexchange,aportraitofLiliElbethetrueandremarkabletransformationof
thepainterEinarWegener.London,BlueBoatBooks,2004.
SchnittmusterdesGeschlechts.TransvestitismusundTranssexualittinderfrhenSexualwissenschaftby
Dr.RainerHerrn(2005),pp.204211.ISBN3898064638.Germanstudycontainingadetailedaccount
oftheoperationsofLiliElbe,theirpreparationsandtheroleofMagnusHirschfeld.
WieLilizueinemrichtigenMdchenwurdeLiliElbe:ZurKonstruktionvonGeschlechtundIdentitt
zwischenMedialisierung,RegulierungundSubjektivierungbySabineMeyer(2015),ISBN97838376
31807.
"Whenawomanpaintswomen"/AndreaRyggKarbergand"Thetranswomanasmodelandcocreator:
resistanceandbecominginthebackturningLiliElbe"/TobiasRauninGerdaWegener/editedby
AndreaRyggKarberg...[etal.].Denmark,ArkenMuseumofModernArt,2015.

Externallinks
LiliElbe(http://www.biography.com/people/lilielbe090815)on
WikimediaCommonshas
Biography.com
mediarelatedtoLiliElbe.
LiliElbe(http://www.lgbthistorymonth.org.uk/history/lilielbe.ht
m)onLGBTHistoryMonth
SabineMeyer:MitdemPuppenwagenindienormativeWeiblichkeit.LiliElbeunddiejournalistische
InszenierungvonTranssexualittinDnemark.In:NORDEUROPAforum20(2010:12),3361.Article
inGermanscholarlyjournal(http://edoc.huberlin.de/nordeuropaforum/20101/meyersabine33/PDF/me
yer.pdf)
RepresentedinARKENMuseumofModernArt'sGerdaWegenerexhibition(http://www.arken.dk/udstil
ling/gerdawegener/)7.November2015til8.January2017
Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lili_Elbe&oldid=743288298"
Categories: 1882births 1931deaths Danishpainters Intersexpeople LGBTartistsfromDenmark
LGBTpeoplefromDenmark Organtransplantrecipients RoyalDanishAcademyofFineArtsalumni
Transgenderandtranssexualartists Transgenderandtranssexualwomen Danishlandscapepainters
20thcenturyDanishpainters
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