Magnus Hirschfeld : The Origins of the Gay Liberation Movement

Magnus Hirschfeld (1868-1935) was one of the first great pioneers of the gay liberation movement. Revered by such gay icons as Christopher Isherwood and Harry Hay, founder of the Mattachine Society, Hirschfeld’s legacy resonates throughout the twentieth-century and around the world. Guided by his motto “Through Science Toward Justice,” Hirschfeld helped found the Scientific Humanitarian Committee in Germany to defend the rights of homosexuals and develop a scientific framework for sexual equality. He was also an early champion of women’s rights, campaigning in the early 1900s for the decriminalization of abortion and the right of female teachers and civil servants to marry and have children. By 1933 Hirschfeld’s commitment to sexual liberation made him a target for the Nazis, and they ransacked his Institute for Sexual Research and publicly burned his books. This biography, first published to acclaim in Germany, follows Hirschfeld from his birth in the Prussian province of Pomerania to the heights of his career during the Weimar Republic and the rise of German fascism. Ralf Dose illuminates Hirschfeld’s ground-breaking role in the gay liberation movement and explains some of his major theoretical concepts, which continue to influence our understanding of human sexuality and social justice today. Originally published as Magnus Hirschfeld: Deutscher – Jude – Weltbürger by Verlag HENTRICH & HENTRICH, Berlin, Germany © 2005 Verlag HENTRICH & HENTRICH English translation published by Monthly Review Press, 2014 "Magnus Hirschfeld (1868-1935) was one of the first great pioneers of the gay liberation movement. Revered by such gay icons as Christopher Isherwood and Harry Hay, founder of the Mattachine Society, Hirschfeld's legacy resonates throughout the twentieth-century and around the world. Guided by his motto 'Through Science Toward Justice, ' Hirschfeld helped found the Scientific Humanitarian Committee in Germany to defend the rights of homosexuals and develop a scientific framework for sexual equality. He was also an early champion of women's rights, campaigning in the early 1900s for the decriminalization of abortion and the right of female teachers and civil servants to marry and have children. By 1933 Hirschfeld's commitment to sexual liberation made him a target for the Nazis, and they ransacked his Institute for Sexual Research and publicly burned his books. This biography, first published to acclaim in Germany, follows Hirschfeld from his birth in the Prussian province of Pomerania to the heights of his career during the Weimar Republic and the rise of German fascism. Ralf Dose illuminates Hirschfeld's ground-breaking role in the gay liberation movement and explains some of his major theoretical concepts, which continue to influence our understanding of human sexuality and social justice today"-- Provided by publisher Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 6 Introduction to the U. S. Edition......Page 8 Introduction to the German Edition......Page 14 His Life......Page 18 His Work......Page 85 His Impact and Influence......Page 96 Epilogue: Magnus Hirschfeld in North America......Page 103 Appendices......Page 114 Bibliography......Page 122 Notes......Page 134 B......Page 138 H......Page 139 K......Page 141 M......Page 142 R......Page 143 T......Page 144 Z......Page 145 Introduction to the U.S. edition Introduction to the German edition His life His work His impact and influence Epilogue: Magnus Hirschfeld in North America Appendix.