Dora Richter, recognized as the first person to undergo complete gender-affirming surgery including a vaginoplasty, is being honored with a memorial plaque at the Vivantes Krankenhaus Am Urban in Berlin-Kreuzberg, according to reports from rbb|24, visitBerlin.de, and magnus-hirschfeld.de. The plaque installation marks nearly 95 years since the completion of her medical transition at the hospital in June 1931.
Memorial Plaque and Audio Tour Details
According to visitBerlin.de, the memorial plaque features a QR code linking to an audio tour for the non-profit project “Queere Held*innen” (Queer Heroes) operated by Homolulu Berlin. The site of the plaque at Vivantes Krankenhaus Am Urban is where Richter underwent her final surgical procedure in June 1931. The project aims to make queer history visible at historical locations, allowing passersby to access information via mobile devices, as detailed by magnus-hirschfeld.de. The full audio recording detailing Richter’s life is hosted on the Homolulu Berlin website.
The installation of the plaque is supported by funding from the Hannchen-Mehrzweck-Stiftung with permission from Vivantes Klinikum Am Urban, alongside proud partners TransInterQueer e.V. (TrIQ) and the Bundesverband Trans*, as reported by visitBerlin.de. Speakers from the trans, intersex, and non-binary (TIN*) community—including artist Hani Porter, trans historian Elio Gäbelein, and Nora Eckert of TransInterQueer e.V.—are scheduled to contribute to the unveiling event, according to visitBerlin.de and magnus-hirschfeld.de.
Dora Richter’s History and Medical Milestone
Dora Richter did not identify with the gender assigned to her at birth from an early age, according to visitBerlin.de and magnus-hirschfeld.de. In early 1923, Richter arrived at the Institute for Sexual Science (Institut für Sexualwissenschaft) in Berlin, where she underwent her initial operation and subsequently worked. Magnus-hirschfeld.de notes that an official assessment produced at the institute later enabled Richter to officially change her first name to Dora. She resided in Berlin’s Motzstraße until 1934.
Rafael Nasemann of the Homolulu Berlin initiative emphasized the significance of Richter’s journey, stating to rbb|24 that Dora was courageous and that ensuring her physical body mirrored her identity was essential to her. Nasemann noted to rbb|24 that Richter opted for severe surgeries that had never been performed previously, culminating in the June 1931 procedure at the Krankenhaus am Urban.
Community Gathering and Event Schedule
The inauguration event for the memorial plaque is scheduled for August 21, 2026, according to magnus-hirschfeld.de. Following the unveiling ceremony at the Vivantes hospital, attendees will gather at the Hafenkiosk located in front of the Van Loon restaurant ship at the Landwehrkanalufer, approximately 100 meters from the plaque, as reported by visitBerlin.de and magnus-hirschfeld.de. Events will be conducted primarily in German, with some contributions in English depending on the speaker, and registration is welcomed though not required.
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