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Source Record

Lili Elbe Biography

Why this source is used

Biography.com profile of Lili Elbe covering her art, legal recognition, gender-affirming surgeries and posthumous publication of Man into Woman.

Start with the answer

Start with the answer What do gender-diverse historical lives show? They show that people have crossed, rejected or reworked gender categories across many centuries, cultures and institutions. Read the topic guide Gender-Diverse Historical Lives Gender-diverse lives appear throughout history, from religious leaders and soldiers to Indigenous cultural ambassadors, surgeons and early transition pioneers.

Source Status

Publisher
Biography.com / A&E Television Networks
Type
organisation
Reliability
medium
Cited by
3 pages

Source Links

Open original source https://www.biography.com/artists/lili-elbe Accessed 4 June 2026 Open archived copy https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://www.biography.com/artists/lili-elbe

Used by Topics

Gender-Diverse Historical Lives

Used by Questions

What do gender-diverse historical lives show?

Used by Timeline Events

March 1930 CulturalTransHealthPeople

Lili Elbe — Pioneer of Gender-Affirming Surgery

Danish artist Lili Elbe (born Einar Wegener) underwent the first of five gender-affirming surgeries in Berlin and Dresden, becoming one of the first known recipients of such procedures. Elbe had lived intermittently as a woman since 1904, initially modelling for her wife, artist Gerda Wegener. In 1930, the King of Denmark annulled Elbe's marriage and legally recognised her as a woman. Elbe's story was later told in the book 'Man into Woman' (1933) and the 2015 film 'The Danish Girl.' Tragically, Elbe died in 1931 from complications following her final surgery.