Otto Spengler (18?? – 19??) Benjamin’s first transgendered patient

[Shana A]

18 April 2009
Otto Spengler (18?? – 19??) Benjamin's first transgendered patient.

http://zagria.blogspot.com/2009/04/otto-spengler-18-19-benjamins-first.html

Otto was born and raised in Germany. His father died when he was four, and from then he slept with his mother in her bed. He was girlish in appearance and his dressmaker sister used him as a dress model.

Although little attracted to women, he did marry at age 26 and they had three children. He wore female clothing at all opportunities and wore female underwear under his male clothing at other times.

He corresponded for many years with Dr Mary Walker and attempted to secure her collection of pictures and letters.

He was known to Magnus Hirschfeld when the latter was writing Die Transvestiten.

[heatherrose]

This should come as a suprise to no TS,
the very first reasignment surgery on record,
the I have read about, was performed in Germany over
ninety years ago. It consisted of little more than full
removal of the male genitalia and the implanting of
female overies. The patient lived out the rest of her
days at the same hospital working as a custodian.
In, what is to have been said was, a state of
bliss untill the day of her death.

There are several other instances of this pre
Christian Jorgensen, some examples weren't as
sucessful and other were just plan FATAL.
Just because SRS is more previlent today than
it was previously does not mean that the instances
of GID were any less numerous a hundred years go.

[Mr. Fox]

If you can get a copy of Psychopathia Sexualis, published in 1886.  There are many fascinating anecdotes from people talking about their "sexual perversions" like homosexuality.  There is one from a transwoman who, although was married and not transitioning, was unashamed of the way she was.  Ignore the stuff written by Krafft Ebing, though; he was an idiot.

[HelenW]

You can read about the Psychopathia Sexualis in our Wiki.  There's a link to an online edition of the Psychopathia Sexualis in the article as well.

hugs & smiles
Emelye