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  • People and Places: details can be seen on mouse-over.
  • Diary Entry - Paragraph ID or text within a paragraph
  • Letter - Paragraph ID or text within a paragraph
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Document Metadata

Description of original facsimile: One sheet, double-sided handwritten letter in black ink with "Mein Brief" ("My Letter") written in red crayon in the upper left corner. The letter appears to have been folded into fourths. Three holes are punched in the lefthand margin.

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When paragraphs line up between the two columns, we have not repeated translator and editor notes. When the paragraphs do not line up, we have included editor notes in both places. We have prioritized readability. Page breaks may not be consistent between the translation and the transcription due to word order differences in the translations.

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  • Photographed by Pamela L. Caughie
  • Images prepared by Matthew Gallagher
  • Translation completed by Kristin Jacobsen, Maiken Boysen
  • Transcription completed by Kristin Jacobsen
  • Translation reviewed by Marianne Ølholm
  • Encoding completed by Tyler Monaghan
  • Encoding assistance and/or XML proofing completed by Rebecca J. Parker, Nikolaus Wasmoen, Anna McCue, Orion Elrod
  • XML transformed into HTML on 05/26/2023 by Greer Martin
  • HTML proofing completed by Cristiana Bertola, Emily Datskou, Darcy Brady

Transcription

Page 1

Mein Brief -@Translator: KEJ

Tirsdag

Dresden. 16 Juni 1931

(01) Kære VenindeMarie Garland (1889-1967), Danish actress; married to Ernst Harthern.

(02) Jeg har skrevet til Deres MandErnst Ludwig Harthern (née Jacobson) (1884–1969), German writer and editor of Man into Woman under the pseudonym, Niels Hoyer; Lili’s German friend in the narrative og bedt ham, som vi allerede havde aftalt, at sende de færdige Kapitler til Prof. WarnekrosKurt Warnekros (1882–1949), a German gynecologist who performed all but the first of four surgeries on Lili Elvenes; director of the Women’s Clinic in Dresden (Staatliche Frauenklinik) from 1925 to 1948; men hvis de ikke allerede er afsendt, vilde jeg meget gerne have dem til min Adresse.

(03) Det er saadan et udmærket Anledning til at tale med den strænge Herre.

(04) Jeg er nemlig straks blevet saa lille -@Translator: KEJ som sidste Aar. De aner ikke, hvilken Evne han har til at lokke alt det mest kvindelige frem i mig.

(05) Man mener, jeg bliver opereret i morgen – jeg troede, det allerede var for idag, men jeg tør ikke spørge ham derom. Sligt taler han ikke med Piger om – og nu hengaar min Tid med at vente paa ham og drømme om hans Mandighed og Skønhed. I min Beundring forstaar jeg nu, at Gud skabte Manden i sit Billede.

(06) Jeg ønsker intet mere end blot at have Lov til at være i hans Nærhed, og jeg er slet ikke bange for alle de slemme Smærter, der venter mig; thi saa ser jeg ham mere – og et Smil fra ham er alle de grusomste Smærter værd.

Page 2

(07) De kan tro, det er en Overraskelse for mig, at jeg nu er her i Stedet for i ParisParis (historical), capital of France. Men jeg forstaar ProfessorenKurt Warnekros (1882–1949), a German gynecologist who performed all but the first of four surgeries on Lili Elvenes; director of the Women’s Clinic in Dresden (Staatliche Frauenklinik) from 1925 to 1948 har grebet dette gunstige Øjeblik til den sidste store Operation, uden hvilken jeg aldrig bliver helt rask, hverken fysisk eller moralsk.

(08) Jeg sidder ude i Haven; men af og til kniber det lidt med Modet og saa maa jeg kile rundt -@Translator: KEJ i Gangene mellem de lyse Birke; jeg ved nemlig kun altfor godt, hvad der venter mig – og store underlivsopera tioner er gyselige, men jeg tænker slet ikke paa at dø; det har jeg ikke Lov -@Translator: KEJ til. Det vilde være et Forræderi.

(09) Skriv til mig. Det vil trøste mig. Det er mig ogsaa en stor Beroligelse at vide, at deres MandErnst Ludwig Harthern (née Jacobson) (1884–1969), German writer and editor of Man into Woman under the pseudonym, Niels Hoyer; Lili’s German friend in the narrative sidder og arbejder med vort fælles Værk. Bogen eller rettere Romanen begynder maaske allerede at udkomme, medens jeg endnu ligger her.

(10) Jeg sender en Del Fotografier herfra og faar Bekendte til at samle en Del i ParisParis (historical), capital of France.

(11) Mine allerhjærtligste Hilsner til Dem

(12) og Deres MandErnst Ludwig Harthern (née Jacobson) (1884–1969), German writer and editor of Man into Woman under the pseudonym, Niels Hoyer; Lili’s German friend in the narrative

(13) Deres

Lili ElvenesLili Elbe (fictional and historical), legal name Lili Ilse Elvenes; born Einar Wegener (1882), died in Dresden, 1931

P.S. Jeg venter Visit her af JohannesJohannes Poulsen (1881–1938), Danish actor and director, married to Ulla Poulsen og Ulla PoulsenUlla Britta Poulsen Skou (née Iversen) (1905–2001), a Danish ballet dancer whom Gerda painted in Paris in 1927

Translation

Page 1

My Letter

Tuesday

Dresden. 16 June 1931

(01) Dear FriendMarie Garland (1889-1967), Danish actress; married to Ernst Harthern.

(02) I have written to your husbandErnst Ludwig Harthern (née Jacobson) (1884–1969), German writer and editor of Man into Woman under the pseudonym, Niels Hoyer; Lili’s German friend in the narrative and asked him, as we had already agreed, to send the completed chapters to Prof. WarnekrosKurt Warnekros (1882–1949), a German gynecologist who performed all but the first of four surgeries on Lili Elvenes; director of the Women’s Clinic in Dresden (Staatliche Frauenklinik) from 1925 to 1948; but if they have not already been shipped, I would like to have them to my address.

(03) It is such an excellent occasion to talk with the strict gentleman.

(04) I have immediately become just as little as last year. You wouldn’t guess the power he has to entice the utmost feminine side of me.

(05) They think I’ll undergo surgery tomorrow – I thought it was already due today but I don’t dare to ask him about it. He doesn’t discuss such things with girls – and now I spend my time waiting for him and dreaming about his masculinity and beauty. In my admiration I now understand that God created man in his image.

(06) I wish for no more than just to be allowed to be in his proximity, and I am not at all afraid of all the horrible pain that awaits me; for then I will see him more – and a smile from him is worth all the most gruesome pain.

Page 2

(07) You can believe it is a surprise to me, that I am now here instead of in ParisParis (historical), capital of France. But I understand the ProfessorKurt Warnekros (1882–1949), a German gynecologist who performed all but the first of four surgeries on Lili Elvenes; director of the Women’s Clinic in Dresden (Staatliche Frauenklinik) from 1925 to 1948 has grabbed this favorable moment for the last big operation, without which I will never become fully healthy, neither physically nor morally.

(08) I am sitting out in the garden; but courage is a little scarce and so I must dash around among the bright birch trees; I know only too well what waits for me – and big abdominal operations are horrible, but I really do not think about dying at all; I do not have the permission to do that. It would be a betrayal.

(09) Write to me. It will comfort me. It is also a big reassurance to me to know that your husbandErnst Ludwig Harthern (née Jacobson) (1884–1969), German writer and editor of Man into Woman under the pseudonym, Niels Hoyer; Lili’s German friend in the narrative works with our common work. The book, or rather the novel, might be released while I am still here.

(10) I am sending a handful of photographs from here and will have friends collect some in ParisParis (historical), capital of France.

(11) My heartiest greetings to you

(12) and Your HusbandErnst Ludwig Harthern (née Jacobson) (1884–1969), German writer and editor of Man into Woman under the pseudonym, Niels Hoyer; Lili’s German friend in the narrative

(13) Your

Lili ElvenesLili Elbe (fictional and historical), legal name Lili Ilse Elvenes; born Einar Wegener (1882), died in Dresden, 1931

P.S. I await the visit here of JohannesJohannes Poulsen (1881–1938), Danish actor and director, married to Ulla Poulsen and Ulla PoulsenUlla Britta Poulsen Skou (née Iversen) (1905–2001), a Danish ballet dancer whom Gerda painted in Paris in 1927