Unveiling of the Memorial Plaque for Dora Richter

Trans* pioneer Dora Richter is being honored with a commemorative plaque—featuring a QR code for the audio tour of the nonprofit project “Queere Held*innen” by Homolulu Berlin—at the site of her final surgery at Vivantes Hospital Am Urban.

Together, the queer community and supporters will honor the transgender pioneer Dora Richter, who underwent the world’s first gender-affirming surgery of its kind here in 1931.

Speakers from Berlin’s trans, inter, and non-binary (TIN*) community will contribute, including Hani Porter (artist), Elio Gäbelein (trans historian), Nora Eckert (TransInterQueer e.V. TrIQ), and others.

There will also be an opportunity to learn more about Dora’s life, to honor her through art, and to take a stand for the protection and visibility of trans people in Berlin and around the world.

Following the unveiling, there will be a cozy get-together at the Hafenkiosk in front of the Van Loon restaurant ship on the banks of the Landwehr Canal, 100 meters from the memorial plaque. The event will be conducted primarily in German, though some speakers may also present in English.

Registration is not required but is welcome.

The memorial plaque was installed with funding from the Hannchen-Mehrzweck Foundation and with the kind permission of Vivantes Klinikum Am Urban; proud partners are TransInterQueer e.V. (TrIQ) and the Bundesverband Trans*.

Who is Dora?

Dora Richter was the first person to successfully undergo gender reassignment surgery, including vaginoplasty. From early childhood onward, she did not identify with the gender assigned to her at birth.

Dora Richter arrived at the Institute for Sexual Science in Berlin in early 1923, where she underwent her first surgery and subsequently worked.

The final surgery was performed in 1931 at the Am Urban Hospital. The medical report prepared at the Institute later enabled her to officially change her name to Dora. She lived on Motzstraße in Berlin until 1934.