We mourn the loss of Adrian de Silva, who passed away after a serious illness in the summer of 2023. Adrian de Silva did research on trans* activism in Germany and was one of the central voices in German-language trans* and queer studies, and he is now missing as a person.
Adrian's book Negotiating the Borders of the Gender Regime. Developments and Debates on Trans(sexuality) in the Federal Republic of Germany was the first and to date the only monograph on German trans* history. It has decisively shaped the field of research.
We had invited Adrian to our panel discussion Inter:ventions in History and Historiography: Inter- and Trans- Perspectives and Organizing, which took place at the Goethe University Frankfurt on 15.2.2023. Due to illness, he was already unable to attend, even though he had been convinced until shortly before that he would find the necessary strength after all. We were deeply saddened when we received the news of his death and commemorate a brilliant and courageous research personality as well as a kind and warm human being. His death leaves a gaping hole in German-language trans* studies.
Some of his texts are available online. In these writings, Adrian's voice and thoughts live on and remind us of him.
- Adrian de Silva (2022): Zur Entwicklung des TSG unter Berücksichtigung der aktuellen politischen Debatte, Gunda Werner Institut.
- Adrian de Silva (2018): Entwicklungen der Trans*bewegung in Deutschland. Bundeszentrale für Politische Bildung.
- Adrian de Silva (2018): Negotiating the Borders of the Gender Regime. Developments and Debates on Trans(sexuality) in the Federal Republic of Germany, Bielefeld: transcript.
- Adrian de Silva, Ilka Quirling (2005): Zur gegenwärtigen Situation asylsuchender transgeschlechtlicher Menschen in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, in: femina politica 14(1): 70-82.
As part of the Center for Gender Studies and Feminist Futures' lecture series, Adrian de Silva contributed in 2021 to the session. „LGBTI*Q-Bewegungsgeschichte: Unterschiedliche, geteilte Erfahrungen“. The event can be listened to online.