Magnus Hirshfeld's patientsIn early 20th-century Germany, cross-dressing was not inherently illegal[1]. However, those who defied societal gender norms through cross-dressing risked facing legal consequences, like charges related to public outrage. Magnus Hirshfeld played a pivotal role in assisting individuals navigating these challenging situations, by helping them obtain police statements regarding their clothing choices to establish their “objective” sexual identity. He was the one who submitted reports to the police as evidence in support of obtaining a transvestite pass for his patients. His efforts even contributed to the transformation of this pass into a more specific permit, particularly during the Weimar Republic. Nonetheless, the post-1933 fates of individuals who had received Hirshfeld’s assistance varied significantly, with the rise of the Nazi Regime. Thus, the transvestite pass illustrates the evolving legal and societal attitudes towards cross-dressing and gender identity in Germany.
This is a user sandbox of Maelysf. You can use it for testing or practicing edits. This is not the sandbox where you should draft your assigned article for a dashboard.wikiedu.org course. To find the right sandbox for your assignment, visit your Dashboard course page and follow the Sandbox Draft link for your assigned article in the My Articles section.
