The Story of Lili Elbe, One of the First Transgender Women Who Received Sex Reassignment Surgery to Become a Mother

It’s not easy to be a pioneer in any matter, but at the same time, it’s also quite honorable. And it’s possibly quite scary because no one has ever done anything like this before. These people make history — books and movies are created based on the story of their life. Today we would like to tell you the story of Lili Elbe, a transgender woman who was among the first recipients of sex reassignment surgery.

The ordinary life of Einar Wegener

The life of Danish artist Einar Wegener was hardly different from anyone else’s life before 1908. Einar was born into the family of a spice merchant. Later finished school and enrolled at the university. Einar studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen where the painter met their love.

19-year-old Gerda Gottlieb, the daughter of a vicar, conquered the heart of the 22-year-old student, and they tied the knot. The couple became not only spouses but also collaborators. Gerda worked as a magazine illustrator, while Wegener specialized in landscape paintings in a post-impressionist style. By the way, Einar was quite a successful artist, their works were exhibited in the prestigious Salon d’Automne in Paris.

A coincidence that changed everything

Gerda specialized in painting women. The heroines of her paintings were confident-looking and elegant and seemed to exude feminine energy. However, even if she depicted men, they also looked quite feminine. This way, Gottlieb challenged society.

Once in 1908, actress Anna Larssen didn’t show up for a modeling session, so Gerda had to ask her husband who had a delicate build to model for her. Einar took some time to think about it but eventually agreed. Einar couldn’t even imagine that they would find their true self after this. Later, they wrote in their memoirs, “I cannot deny, strange as it may sound, that I enjoyed myself in this disguise. I liked the feel of soft women’s clothing. I felt very much at home in them from the first moment.”

As long as Gerda continued to paint her husband in women’s images, Einar became more and more convinced about their identity. Their new persona even got a new name (which was prompted by that same actress who didn’t show up for a modeling session.) This was how Lili saw the light.

One of the first sex reassignment surgeries in history

In 1912, the couple faced scandal when it became known that the beautiful woman in Gottlieb’s paintings was actually her spouse. They had to urgently leave Copenhagen and move to the more accepting city of Paris. At social events, Gerda presented Lili as her husband’s sister. However, constant lies embarrassed Elbe who wanted to become a real woman not only mentally but also physically.

Luckily, they found out that there was a clinic in Dresden where doctors conducted pioneering sex reassignment surgeries. It’s worth mentioning that Lili took the surname Elbe after the river that runs through Dresden.

The life in a new body

When Lili was going through transition, her parents were already dead, but her siblings supported her. In 1930, she obtained a new passport under the name Lili Ilse Elvenes. Around this time, King Christian X of Denmark officially annulled Einar Wegener’s marriage to Gottlieb. Gerda had spent more than 2 decades with Elbe, supporting her in everything. But after the divorce, the ex-spouses went their different ways.

Lili decided to abandon her profession as an artist, believing that it belonged to a cisgender man. But she found a new passion — love. Elbe met French art dealer Claude Lejeune. She wanted to marry him and become a mother. She called this time the happiest in her life. She also continued with another round of surgeries to get the body of her dreams. But one of these surgeries became fatal to Lili. She died on September 13, 1931.

How Lili Elbe changed the world

Some critics called The Danish Girl the best and most important movie of 2015. It raised the topic of transgender rights and helped the audience understand people like Lili better. In the movie, Lili was portrayed by Eddie Redmayne. The biopic drew attention to the life of Lili Elbe and her wife Gerda Gottlieb. A big art exhibition was opened in their native Copenhagen in 2016 where people could see the paintings of the former spouses and their greatest friends.

Do you know any other couples whose love grew into great friendship over the years?