Gerd Katter
Gerd Katter | |
---|---|
Born | 14 March 1910 |
Died | 1995 (aged 84–85) |
Nationality | German |
Occupation | Apprentice Carpenter |
Known for | Patient of the German physician and sexologist, Magnus Hirschfeld |
Gerd Katter (14 March 1910 – 1995) was a German apprentice carpenter, insurance agent and patient of the notable German physician and sexologist, Magnus Hirschfeld.[1][2]
Katter is largely discussed in the context of his gender identity and status as a patient of Magnus Hirschfeld.[3] Though he was assigned female at birth, Katter lived as a man, changing his name, pronouns and physical form to align with his sense of gender.
Early life
Born on March 14, 1910, in Berlin-Britz, Gerd Katter disidentified with his assigned gender at birth. Through publications that described homosexuality and transvestism, such as those by sexual scientist Max Hodann, Das 3. Geschlecht by German activist and author, Friedrich Radszuweit, and Magnus Hirschfeld's book, Geschlechtskunde, Katter became aware of diverse iterations of sexuality and gender, which informed his own sense of identity.[3] Katter was subsequently put in touch with Hirschfeld through an acquaintance of Hodann.[4]
Surgery
In 1927 at age sixteen, Katter visited Magnus Hirschfeld's
Transvestitenschein
In 1928 at age eighteen, Katter sought further affirmation of his gender identity through acquiring a document known as a
As historian Annette F. Timm notes in her work, "'I am so grateful to all you men of medicine': Trans Circles of Knowledge and Intimacy," following his procedure and the acquisition of his transvestitenschein documents, Katter was touted by the Institute as a medical specimen and utilized as a "demonstration case" to visitors of the Institute.[8] In scholar Elizabeth Andrea Rottman's dissertation, “Queer Home Berlin? Making Queer Selves and Spaces in the Divided City, 1945-1970," she recounts Katter's personal letters from the archives of the Magnus Hirschfeld Society, whose tone of fervent admiration for Hirschfeld and the Institute imply that he was happy to oblige.[9]
Later life
Katter went on to complete a carpenter's apprenticeship in
Advocacy for Hirschfeld
In 1947, Anton Ackermann, the head of the cultural department of the SED, received a letter from Katter advocating for the commemoration of Magnus Hirschfeld and the reconstruction of the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft, which had been destroyed by the Nazi Party.[6] As quoted by historian Elizabeth Andrea Rottman, in his letter to Ackermann, Katter described Hirschfeld as a "victim of fascism," but also a "gigantic fighter," using popular socialist language to identify Hirschfeld as a Victim of Fascism (German: Opfer des Faschismus), who were survivors officially recognized by the state.[10] Though Katter's lamentation of Hirschfeld's unjust treatment and victimization under Nazi rule emphasized Hirschfeld's identity as a German, he made no mention of his Jewish identity, believing it would transmute the perception of Hirschfeld from an "active fighter" of fascism into a "passive victim."[11]
Following this letter, Katter contacted friends of Hirschfeld and individuals with cultural influence who he felt may support his endeavour including the German Jewish writers,
Death
Gerd Katter died in the village of Birkenwerder in Brandenburg, Germany in 1995.[8]
External links
- Gerd Katter: LGBTQ+ Stories from the Holocaust, by Dr. Jake Newsome
References
- ^ .
- ^ a b Jander, Thomas "A LICENCE TO BE (DIFFERENT) 'Friends and Helpers' of Trans People in the Weimar Republic". Deutsches Historisches Museum Blog. Deutsches Historisches Museum, 23 July 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
- ^ a b c Rottmann, Elisabeth Andrea. “Queer Home Berlin? Making Queer Selves and Spaces in the Divided City, 1945-1970.” ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2019, p. 60.
- ^ a b Rottmann, Elisabeth Andrea. “Queer Home Berlin? Making Queer Selves and Spaces in the Divided City, 1945-1970.” ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2019, p. 61.
- ^ a b c Sutton, Katie. "Sexual Politics and the Legacy of the Weimar Republic." ANU Reporter vol. 51 no. 1, Australian National University, 2020, https://reporter.anu.edu.au/sexual-politics-and-legacy-weimar-republic Archived 2022-10-20 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c Rottmann, Elisabeth Andrea. “Queer Home Berlin? Making Queer Selves and Spaces in the Divided City, 1945-1970.” ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2019, p. 59.
- ^ Sutton, Katie. “Trans Rights and Cultures in the Weimar Republic”, in: History | Sexuality | Law, 10/06/2021, https://hsl.hypotheses.org/1714.
- ^ a b c d Timm, Annette F. "'I am so grateful to all you men of medicine': Trans Circles of Knowledge and Intimacy" in Others of My Kind: Transatlantic Transgender Histories. Ed. by Bakker, Alex, Rainer Herrn, Michael Thomas Taylor, and Annette F. Timm. Calgary, Alberta, Canada: University of Calgary Press, 2020, p. 84.
- ^ Rottmann, Elisabeth Andrea. “Queer Home Berlin? Making Queer Selves and Spaces in the Divided City, 1945-1970.” ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2019, p. 59-70.
- ^ Rottmann, Elisabeth Andrea. “Queer Home Berlin? Making Queer Selves and Spaces in the Divided City, 1945-1970.” ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2019, p. 63.
- ^ Rottmann, Elisabeth Andrea. “Queer Home Berlin? Making Queer Selves and Spaces in the Divided City, 1945-1970.” ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2019, p. 63-64.
- ^ Rottmann, Elisabeth Andrea. “Queer Home Berlin? Making Queer Selves and Spaces in the Divided City, 1945-1970.” ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2019, p. 64.
- ^ Rottmann, Elisabeth Andrea. “Queer Home Berlin? Making Queer Selves and Spaces in the Divided City, 1945-1970.” ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2019, p. 70.