Excerpt from Havelock Ellis's review of Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld's "Jahrbuch für S*xuelle Zwischenstufen", revealing a groundbreaking and very plausible theory about Kristina courtesy of Sophie Hoechstetter, year 1908

Source:

The Journal of Mental Science, volume 54, page 754, edited by Henry Rayner, M. D.; A. R. Urquhart, M. D.; J. Chambers, M. D.; and J. R. Lord, M. B., 1908

https://books.google.com/books?id=WlM9AQAAMAAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=Psychology+of+Queen+Christina+of+Sweden&source=gbs_navlinks_s

The 4,400th post to this blog!

The article excerpt:

Jahrbuch für S*xuelle Zwischenstufen. Edited by DR. MAGNUS HIRSCHFELD. Vol. ix. Pp. 664, 8vo. Leipzig: Spohr, 1908. Price 12 m.

... Sophie Hoechstetter follows with a paper on the early life of Queen Christina of Sweden. There is little original research here, but the main facts and probabilities are brought together and the conclusion reached that Christina, though by her s*xual functions a woman, was of "bis*xual" organisation with predominantly h*mo-s*xual attractions, the s*xual life being, however, mainly transformed into psychic activity and here chiefly revealing its bis*xuality. ...

HAVELOCK ELLIS.

Above: Kristina.

Above: Havelock Ellis.

Above: Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld.

Above: Sophie Hoechstetter.

Note: I am amazed to find that this is one of the earliest descriptions or theories of Kristina as specifically bis*xual, and a description of her as such from this time has been an unexpected but exciting discovery. The theorist, Sophie Hoechstetter, had s*pphic relationships herself, and like Kristina, she was also known to dress in men's clothes with her hair cut short. But I should expect no less early excellence, sharp-sightedness and forward-thinking on such a subject from a magazine edited by the great Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld — a true pioneer and hero to millions who was decades ahead of his time and one of the most prominent figures from a time in Germany's history and culture that was darkly, brutally and tragically cut short.

As for Havelock Ellis, he was unfortunately and infuriatingly a eugenicist and a wh*te supr*macist. Although he was not qu**r himself, he too was a prominent figure in s*xology and early tr*ns research, and his wife Edith Lees was actually a l*sbian. Ellis was a male feminist and was the first to describe h*mos*xuality in a groundbreakingly objective manner, without characterising it as a mental disease, immoral or a crime — although nothing can compensate for his darker views.

The censoring of certain important words is obvious, but know and be assured that I do not do it gladly or willingly at all, it is only done as a precaution and hopefully a temporary one, and I hope I can be freer again in the future.