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DGSS
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DGSS-Institut


German Society for Social Scientific Sexuality Research (DGSS)

DGSS
Prof. (US) Dr. Jakob Pastötter (President)
Gerresheimer Str. 20
D-40211 Düsseldorf (Germany),
Phone: +49 160 171 39 59
Email: research@sexologie.org




For decades, sociological, behavioral, and cultural sexuality research has had a name: "Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sozialwissenschaftliche Sexualforschung e. V." (short: DGSS). Founded in 1971 by  Rolf Gindorf, it is the oldest non-medical sexological society existing in German-language Europe (i. e., Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium, France, and Italy). Its governing boards have included many noted scholars. Presidents were Rolf Gindorf (1971-1979), Helmut Kentler (1979-1982), Ernest Borneman (1982-1986), Erwin J. Haeberle (1986-2002), Gunter Runkel (2002-2006), and Jakob Pastötter (2006-).

From the very beginning, the DGSS has emphasized the importance of the social, behavioral, and cultural sciences for an adequate understanding of the human sexualities in their many forms, facets, and variations. In addition to traditional sexological fields like biology, physiology, and medicine, the DGSS focus has centered on the social sciences, psychology, and ethnology, embracing also educational, legal, and historical aspects.

In 1978, the DGSS added a pioneering counseling institute ("  DGSS-Institut") to its scientific and research activities. Since then, more than 31,000 clients received sexual counseling or therapy. Gay, lesbian and bisexual people form the largest group. AIDS counseling and HIV antibody testing has been provided since 1983.

Under difficult circumstances, with habitually low financial resources and extremely modest outside support, the DGSS has nevertheless managed to hold increasingly successful national and international sexological congresses, establishing a close cooperation with most German and many foreign sexological societies. An impressive number of scientific publications, including many books and a book series (Schriftenreihe Sozialwissenschaftliche Sexualforschung, Berlin/New York: W. de Gruyter, since 1986; Münster/Hamburg/ London: LIT Verlag, since 2003) give a fairly adequate impression of sexological research by the DGSS and its members.zum Anfang




Since 1990, the DGSS has been awarding its "Magnus-Hirschfeld-Medals" for Sexual Science and for Sexual Reform. Recipients so far were Ernest Borneman (Austria), John P. DeCecco (U.S.A.), Liu Dalin (China), Jonathan Ned Katz (U.S.A), Milton Diamond (U.S.A), John Money (U.S.A), Martin S. Weinberg (U.S.A.), Richard Green (USA/UK), Hu Peicheng (China), Fang-fu Ruan (China), Pedro de Freitas (Portugal) and Dr. João Décio Ferreira (Portugal) for Sexual Science; Herman Musaph (The Netherlands), Imre Aszódi (Hungary), Ruth Westheimer (U.S.A.), Maj-Briht Bergström-Walan (Sweden), Oswalt Kolle (The Netherlands), Manfred Bruns (Germany), William Granzig (U.S.A), Rolf Gindorf (Germany), Rita Süssmuth (Germany), Robert T. Francoeur (U.S.A.), Norbert Kluge (Germany), Karla Etschenberg (Germany), Sonia Blaso (Argentinia) and Cem Keçe (Turky) for Sexual Reform.

Once the Berlin wall had fallen, the DGSS was able to move its congresses to the original birthplace of sexology, and to resume the tradition of the Berlin sexological conferences started in 1921 by Magnus Hirschfeld.



X. DGSS Congress of Social Scientific Sex Research / III. International Berlin Conference for Sexology on "Bisexualities" (July 13 - 16, 1990, Berlin Reichstag)

Shown are some delegates during a conference break. First row from the left:  Rolf Gindorf, Erwin J. Haeberle, John Gagnon, Milton Diamond, Richard Green, Martin Weinberg, Günther Dörner, John Money; standing behind him: Eli Coleman. Also standing, between Diamond and Green: Reinhard Wille; behind him: Theo Sandfort; sitting before him: Rob Tielman. Sitting next to him, behind Weinberg: Gunter Runkel. Sitting between Haeberle and Gagnon in the row behind: A. X. Van Naerssen. - Copyright © 1990 M. Diamond



From July 25-27, 1997, the XIII. DGSS Congress of Social Scientific Sex Research, being at the same time the VI. International Berlin Conference for Sexology ( DGSS Conference 1997), took place at Berlin's old Humboldt University. Its theme: "100 Years of Gay Liberation". Scientists (most of them gay) came from many countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australia. zum Anfang


From June 29 through July 02, 2000, the XIV. DGSS Congress was held in conjunction with the V. Conference of the European Federation of Sexology (EFS) (  Conference 2000) in Berlin's "House of World Cultures", hosting some 270 delegates from 34 countries. Its theme: "For A Millenium of Sexual Health". zum Anfang


In 2002, the XVth DGSS Conference from June 21 - 23 ( Conference 2002) was moved to the romantic, historic town of Lüneburg (near Hamburg) and its modern university. Its general theme: "Sexualities in the Third Millennium - Recent Developments in Sexuality Research". Again, sexologists from many nations attended, colleagues from the United States forming the largest contingent. - In 2004, the ( XVI. DGSS Conference on "Sexualities and Social Change" was also held in Lüneburg where also the ( XVII. Conference ("Sexuality and Love") took place Sept. 22-24, 2006. The XX. DGSS Conference "Sexuality, Power, Pornography" took place from May 25 - 27, 2012 in Munich. The XXII. DGSS Conference "Sexuality as Commodity" took place from June 17 - 19 2016 in Munich. The XXIII. DGSS Conference "Sexology between Research, Education, Therapy and Counselling" will take place in May or June 2018 in Munich. zum Anfang



Check out also these related links:   The Kinsey Institute

  World Association for Sexual Health (WAS)

  European Federation of Sexology (EFS)

  The American Board of Sexology (ABS)

  Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS)

  Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS)


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Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sozialwissenschaftliche Sexualforschung (DGSS)
(German Society for Social Scientific Sexuality Research)
Gerresheimer Straße 20 • D-40211 Düsseldorf
Telefon (+49 160) 171 39 59
sexualforschung@sexologie.org
www.sexologie.org


PRÄSIDIUM • GOVERNING BOARD:
Prof. Dr. Ernest Borneman† • Rolf Gindorf
(Ehrenpräsidenten • Honorary Presidents)
Prof. (US) Dr. Jakob Pastoetter (Präsident • President) • Prof. Dr. Karla Etschenberg (Vizepräsidentin • Vice President)
Wolfgang Gindorf (Sekretär • Secretary)
KURATORIUM • INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD:
Prof. John De Cecco, PhD (San Francisco) - Prof. João Décio Ferreira (Lisbon) - Prof. Dr. Pedro de Freitas -
Prof. William Granzig, PhD (Orlando/Winter Park)  - Prof. Dalin Liu (Tongli/Schanghai) - 
Prof. Man Lun Ng, MD (Hongkong) - Prof. Martin S. Weinberg, PhD (Bloomington)

INTERNATIONALE MITGLIEDSCHAFTEN • INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATIONS:
European Federation of Sexology (EFS) • World Association for Sexual Health (WAS)
DGSS-INSTITUT FÜR LEBENS- UND SEXUALBERATUNG • DGSS SEXUAL COUNSELING INSTITUTE:
Founder
Rolf Gindorf (Duesseldorf) • Head: Jakob Pastoetter (Munich)

  Founder 1971 + Webmaster: Rolf Gindorf†; Webmaster since 2008 Jakob Pastoetter


Gay Counseling Institute (DGSS-Institut) Home
Erwin J. HaeberleJohn GagnonMilton DiamondRolf GindorfRichard GreenMartin WeinbergGünter DörnerJohn MoneyEli ColemanReinhard WilleGunter RunkelTheo SandfortRob TielmanA. X. Van Naerssen