Paper published in “Sexuologie”
- On May 6th, 2013, a
conference was held in Berlin, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Nazi
plundering and closing of Hirschfeld’s Institute
for Sexology (1919-1933).
At this conference, a number of prominent speakers presented papers, which have
now been published in the journal “Sexuologie” (vol. 20, no.1-2, 2013). Among
the authors are Julia Heiman, Lelsey A. Hall, Andreas Krass, Volkmar Sigusch,
Rainer Herrn, Ralf Dose, Hermann Simon, and Klaus M. Beier. Prof. Haeberle
contributed an essay “Das
Haeberle-Hirschfeld-Archiv: Vergangenheit, Gegenwart, Zukunft” (pp.
51-54). The essay describes two complementary archives the
author had founded in Berlin - one consisting of printed material, the other
electronic. In combination, these two archives de facto already amounted to a rebirth of Hirschfeld’s institute in
modern form. Indeed, every single month the online archive alone had more
visitors from more countries than the original had known in all 14 years of its
existence. However, the university never found any use for its new, globally
popular successor. Thus, only the print
archive now remains in Berlin. Here is the abstract of the essay in English:
Abstract:
100 years ago (1913), the first sexological societies were founded in Berlin. 80 years ago (1933), Magnus Hirschfeld’s Institute for Sexology was plundered and closed by the Nazis. Today, there are two archives in Berlin bearing Hirschfeld’s name, both founded by the author: A print version, the Haeberle-Hirschfeld-Archiv, now owned by Humboldt University, and the author’s privately run electronic Magnus Hirschfeld Archive for Sexology in 15 languages. Unfortunately, Humboldt University has shown no interest in acquiring the latter and thereby creating a new Hirschfeld-Institut in Berlin.
