Forced to Live as a Woman, Born as a Man — Here Is the Story of Olympic Star Dora Ratjen

Dora Ratjen was born on November 20th, 1918. Her parents had always wanted a little boy, and throughout the pregnancy, they were convinced that that was exactly what they were getting — at least, that’s what all the scans had shown.

However, when Dora was born, her parents immediately raised questions over the identity of their child. According to them, the midwife immediately congratulated them on the birth of their son but later corrected herself, claiming that the baby was actually female.

You may be wondering how it could be possible to confuse a baby boy for a baby girl. In today’s world, it would be obvious to doctors that Dora was born an intersex child. However, back in those days, there was little to no information on the topic of intersexuality.

Dora’s midwife had no knowledge of what it meant to be intersex, meaning that she incorrectly identified the baby after birth. While Dora was born with parts of both female and male genitalia, her actual sexual identity would become more obvious as she aged.

Even though Dora was obviously different from other children her age, her parents loved her regardless. In fact, she grew up as a pretty normal little girl. She went to school, played with her friends, and thoroughly enjoyed spending time outside.

Whenever she had free time, Dora would be outside in the garden. She had always been a very active child, and, unsurprisingly, she was very talented in just about every sport that she tried. Everything she touched turned to talent, it seemed.

Back in those days, people didn’t understand the concept of gender identity and sexuality. To society, you were either born a male or female — intersex simply wasn’t a term that many people understood or accepted. More so, men and women were under pressure to behave a certain way.

For this reason, Dora didn’t really feel as though she had any choice but to grow up behaving as much like a little girl as she could. However, deep down, she knew that she was never truly happy, as it felt like she was hiding her true identity from her family and friends.

As a young girl, Dora had long hair, wore dresses, and acted as lady-like as she could. Most of her friends growing up were also girls. However, this only made her realize just how different she really was from them.

While all of her friends wanted to play with dolls, Dora was far more interested in getting dirty while playing outside. Luckily, her parents were very accommodating and allowed Dora to do whatever she enjoyed. However, this didn’t make her feel any less of an outsider.

For the better part of 20 years, Dora didn’t tell a single person how she really felt. While she grew up as a little girl, she always identified more with the boys. Afraid of what people might say about her if her true feelings ever came out, she chose to bottle everything up inside.

However, as she grew older, it became harder and harder for her to hide her real identity. This was mostly due to the fact that her body began changing physically. By the time she was 18, she resembled a man more than she did a woman.

When puberty hit, it became increasingly difficult to keep up the act. Dora began growing facial hair, which meant that she had to shave every day to cover all of her bases. In fact, she grew body hair all over — including her hands, feet, and chest.

By this point, her parents had started to realize that their child was more than likely incorrectly identified at birth. However, Dora seemed committed to her female identity, so they continued to treat her the same way that they always had.

It became more and more of a struggle for Dora to fit in with her peers. After graduating, she wasn’t exactly sure what her future held. For her entire life, she had always felt like she never truly belonged anywhere.

This made it incredibly difficult to decide on a career path. Throughout her life, the only time that she ever really felt like herself was when she was outside, being active.

Dora had always been an incredibly sporty child, but her passion for athletics really took off once she graduated high school. While at practice, she finally felt like she belonged somewhere. More so, she made friends with the other athletes, providing her with a much-needed social support system.

In addition to her passion for her sport, Dora was also incredibly talented. She showed so much natural ability that her coaches immediately knew that she would go on to become a professional athlete. Dora also had the work ethic to back up her career choice.

While Dora showed prowess in a number of events, her favorite had always been the high jump. Unsurprisingly, her power and strength were unmatched in nearly every competition that she took part in, allowing her to achieve great success.

After just a few years, she had improved dramatically as an elite high jumper. Her personal best in the event was getting closer and closer to the height at which the best female high jumpers in the world were able to clear.

However, while Dora did have people in her corner, there were also many people who were skeptical of her abilities as an athlete. Even though Dora shaved and did everything that she could to hide her masculine appearance, there was no denying the fact that she didn’t look like a woman.

Sports are divided by gender because men have a genetic advantage over women. In any sporting event that involves strength, endurance, or speed, a woman would be beaten by a man of the same sporting ability. For this reason, people who saw Dora as a man thought that it was unfair for her to compete as a female.

However, her birth certificate stated that she was a woman, which allowed Dora to compete as an elite athlete for many years. In fact, she achieved a lot of success in her sport, winning numerous medals and titles in the high jump event.

She had made such a mark on the high jump scene in her home country of Germany that she was even on her way to qualifying for the 1936 Olympic Games. In 1936, her selection for the German athletic team was finally announced.

In 1936, the Olympic Games were set to be held in Berlin, Germany. For Dora, this meant that she would be competing in her first Olympic Games on home soil, making the occasion that much more special for her and her family.

While excited, she was also nervous about what people might say about her. Her career had always been shrouded by rumors of cheating, even though Dora had been told her entire life that she was a female.

The 1936 Olympic Games was different for a lot of reasons. At the time, Germany had been under the rule of Adolf Hitler for just two years. For this reason, the event was essentially a show of Nazi propaganda. Streets were cleared of homeless people, antisemitic symbols were temporarily removed, and streets were adorned with Nazi symbols.

Years following the 1936 Games, rumors began to spread over Dora’s participation in the event. In fact, some people went as far as to suggest that she was a science experiment arranged by Hitler himself to help Germany win more medals at their home Olympics.

However, Dora’s Olympic stint didn’t end the way she wanted. She placed fourth, even though she knew that she was capable of so much more. However, this didn’t discourage her, and Ratjen went on to compete at a number of other prestigious sporting events.

In fact, Dora eventually won a gold medal at the European high jump championships. To top it all off, she set the female world record with an outstanding jump of 1.67 meters. She had managed to cement her place in athletics history.

However, after breaking the world record, speculations over Dora’s identity began circulating even more than they ever had before. Some of her competitors spoke out against her, claiming that she wouldn’t even get dressed in front of them in the locker rooms, which made it look as though she had something to hide.

At this point, very few people actually believed that she was a woman, which made life difficult for Dora. She began questioning her sexuality more than ever.

As rumors began to spread regarding her gender identity, more and more people started to wonder how it could have been possible for a man to be allowed to compete in the Olympics as a woman.

As a result, sports fans all over the world began pointing fingers at Germany, claiming that they illegally allowed a man to enter the women’s competition in order to win the event and, subsequently, a gold medal for their country. However, at this point, nobody could really even prove that Dora was actually a man.

Other than her physical appearance, there was no denying the fact that her identification documents stated that she was female. If her doctors identified her as female at birth, how could she be a man?

Many people simply believed that she was a manly woman. Again, the concept of intersex was not accepted or understood.

In 1938, Dora boarded an express train from Vienna to Cologne. Dressed in a light gray button-up shirt and skirt, tights, and lady’s shoes, she had no idea that this would be her final trip as a woman.

At the time, Dora was still over the moon with her recent success at the European championships event. However, that was all about to change within a matter of hours.

While on the train, Dora began to notice that two police officers were paying very close attention to her. They had been staring at her for a while and seemed angry for some reason.

As it turns out, a ticket inspector had informed these officers that a man on the train was pretending to be a woman. While stopped at Magdeburg station, one of the officers asked for her ID. However, after noticing her hairy hands, he escorted her back to the police station.

This was the first time that Dora had ever found herself in a police station. She was nervous, as she had no idea what she had done wrong. Just a few hours prior, she had been so excited after winning the European Championships and setting a world record. However, now that was at the back of her mind.

Both police officers seemed to grow increasingly angry with Dora every time she told them who she was. It became obvious that they simply didn’t believe her and thought that she was lying. She knew that they would not let her go until she gave them the answer that they were looking for.

While Dora was still in custody, the police officers were determined to investigate the story. Who was this person? Was she really a successful athlete or just a fraud? To them, it appeared obvious that she was simply a man dressed in women’s clothing.

One of the police officers stood in front of Dora and threatened to examine her. At this point, Dora knew that there was no hiding her real identity any longer. Intimidated by the officers, Dora admitted that he was a man.

After admitting her real identity at the police station, Dora was arrested for fraud. Her mugshot was taken, and her details were submitted into the system. At the time, Dora was well aware of the poor opinions these police officers had of her.

Afterward, a physician was called in to examine the situation. His verdict was that Dora was undoubtedly a man and should be regarded as one. However, this was not all that he had to say. He admitted that the situation wasn’t as straightforward as most people believed.

As it turns out, Dora’s gender identity wasn’t so straightforward. The physician admitted that while he regarded Dora as a man, there was no denying the fact that his genitalia resembled that of a woman.

As a result, nobody quite knew what to label Dora. However, he took the situation as a sign that he was meant to live his life as a man instead of as a woman. So, while nobody else knew what Dora was, he knew that he was a man and that he had always been a man.

As soon as Dora returned home, he began to alter his physical appearance and identity. He cut his hair, let his facial hair grow out, and went shopping for more masculine clothing. Everything began to change, but he knew that it would be for the better.

Even though he was so used to living his life as a woman, he immediately felt more comfortable in this new way of life. In fact, he finally felt as though he didn’t have to hide his real identity. To those closest to him, he suddenly became a completely different person, but in a good way.

After being arrested, Dora finally found happiness. He accepted the fact that he was different from those around him, but it simply didn’t bother him as much anymore since he finally felt as though he could be his true self.

He had been pretending to be a woman for his entire life, even though he always knew deep down that he was a man. It wasn’t until somebody else told him that he was actually a man that he accepted his true identity.

As a result, his life as a woman came to a sudden end. His parents and closest friends started treating him like a man. Even though he did lose a lot of friends as a result of his gender change, he still felt happier than ever.

However, he also began to realize that his sporting career would more than likely be over after announcing the news to the world. Not only would the public’s opinion of him be forever damaged, but his physical ability simply wasn’t good enough anymore.

Dora’s new identity meant that he would no longer be able to compete as a woman in the high jump event. In fact, as he would be regarded as a male, he wouldn’t even qualify to compete as a professional, as his results were sub-par when compared to the best male high jumpers in the world.

At the time of the 1936 Olympics, the men’s high jump world record was set at 2.03 meters, which was a whole 0.33 meters higher than Dora’s personal best. Dora knew that his professional sporting career would come to an end.

Regardless, he knew that he was making the right decision. He officially changed his name from Dora to Heinrich (or Heinz, as he was later known). His journey to manhood had officially begun, and he couldn’t have been any more excited.

For those closest to him, it was strange to suddenly try to change the way they saw Heinrich. However, at the end of the day, he was still the same person that he had always been… he was simply happier.

In September of 1939, it was publicly announced that Dora was actually a man. The sporting world wasn’t exactly shocked, as they had always had their suspicions. However, there was outrage at the fact that he had been allowed to compete at the Olympics as a woman.

The public opinion on Heinrich had never been particularly good, but it got even worse after this announcement. Heinrich suffered verbal abuse from many, which had a major impact on his mental health. Heinrich felt guilty for competing as a woman, even though he believed that he was one.

It was incredibly difficult for the sporting world (and the world in general) to accept Heinrich, as society was still very stuck in its ways. Even though the doctor had examined Heinrich and identified him as a male, he was actually intersex.

It was unfair of the public to shame Heinrich for his gender confusion after he had been told his entire life that he was a female. Heinrich didn’t know any better, which can make life extremely confusing as an impressionable child.

Not long after the news of his true gender identity was announced, his gold medal from the European Championships was confiscated. As he was actually a man, it was unfair for him to have competed against biologically weaker women.

Additionally, his world record was revoked. Heinrich Ratjen never competed in another professional high jump competition, as he simply wasn’t good enough as a male athlete.

Heinrich was one of the first public cases of intersexuality. At the time, doctors knew little to nothing about what it meant to be intersex, which is why they struggled to identify Heinrich at birth.

However, after this scandal, more and more research was done on the topic. As a result, doctors became more knowledgeable on the topic, making it easier to identify intersex babies in the future.

There’s no denying the fact that the case of Heinrich Ratjen is one of the biggest sporting scandals in Olympic history. Even though he only placed fourth in his event, people simply didn’t understand how he managed to pass as a woman for so long.

In fact, so many rumors have spread relating to Heinrich’s participation in the Olympics that it’s hard to tell fact from fiction.

Heinrich’s story has had such an influence on the sporting world that a movie released in 2009 was loosely based on his life. Even though he might not have had the influence he probably wanted, there’s no denying that Heinrich Ratjem is an important character in Olympic and high jump history.

More so, Heinrich is seen as an idol for people who are struggling with their gender identity today. Even though the world didn’t accept him after he made his gender identity public, he chose his own happiness. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, we’re sure — but it’s one worth respecting.

Berlin ‘36 was the name of the movie loosely based on Heinrich’s life. The film focuses on how Hilter used the 1936 Berlin Olympics to push Nazi ideals on the public. In fact, this specific edition of the Olympics was so politically motivated that many label it as the “propaganda Olympics.”

Many conspiracists believe that Heinrich’s participation in the Olympics was just a part of the Nazi agenda. The movie follows Heinrich’s Olympic campaign and heavily hints at this conspiracy, even though there’s no evidence that it’s true.

The lack of information regarding Heinrich’s story is evident in the movie Berlin ‘36. Even though there have been a lot of rumors regarding his sporting career as a woman, we know that most of them are untrue. People simply didn’t like Heinrich after the news of his gender identity was revealed.

To this day, not many people know the true story of Heinrich Ratjen. While we may never know why or how he was allowed to compete at a professional level as a woman, we do know that his story had a massive impact on both the sporting world and the world of gender ambiguity.

Heinrich was seen by many as a secret weapon used by the Navi regime to all but confirm their chances of winning a gold medal in the women’s high jump event at the Berlin Olympics of 1936. More so, they considered the fact that he only finished fourth a sign that the Nazi plan had backfired terribly.

Again, there has never been any evidence to suggest that this conspiracy is true. While most agree that it was unfair for Heinrich to compete as a woman, you have to remember that he believed that he was a woman, as that’s what the doctors had initially told him.

In today’s world, public opinion on gender identity has changed drastically. People are becoming more accepting of these differences, which makes it much easier for people who identify with other genders to talk about their true feelings and make that transition.

Moreover, a number of other intersex athletes have competed at the elite level of sport. These include Caster Semenya — who won two Olympic gold medals — Edinanci Silva, Ewa Klobukowska, and Stella Walsh. Many of these are well-loved, much-respected athletes, irrespective of their gender identity.

Heinrich Ratjen passed away on April 22nd, 2008, in his hometown of Bremen, Germany. Heinrich lived most of his life as a male, which gave him peace. Even though many consider him a cheater, he left behind a legacy in the world of intersex sports.

Following his gender announcement, it became compulsory for all athletes to provide evidence of their gender in order to avoid any similar cases in the future. There have been a number of intersex athletes who have gone on to compete at the Olympic Games. However, most of them have had to undergo hormone treatments or surgeries in order to be deemed eligible.