Sigmund Freud
[Vienna, Austria], April 14, 1921
Sigmund Freud 1921 ALS: "I could still accept you for analysis… you must have at least four months for it"
ALS

A 2pp autograph letter in German signed by Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), as "Freud" near the top of the second page. April 14, 1921. [Vienna, Austria.] Inscribed on both sides of a single leaf of custom stationery with "Prof. Dr. Freud / Wien, IX., Berggasse 19" letterhead. (Freud lived and worked at this address from 1891-1938.) The letter is displayed to the left of an iconic portrait of Freud after Max Halberstadt, in a double-sided matted and glass frame. Not examined out of the frame. The letter exhibits expected wear such as flattened transmittal folds and a few extra wrinkles. Ink bleed-through does not affect the legibility of the bold, dark handwriting. The sight size of each page of the letter is approximately 5.125" x 7.875" while the overall framed size is: 17.375" x 14.625" x .75".

Freud addressed this letter to an unspecified "colleague." This form of address - along with the passage of the letter discussing "analysis" - suggests that Freud's correspondent may have been a doctor or psychiatrist who wanted to become trained in psychoanalysis. By the 1920s, as the field of psychoanalysis became more structured, established practitioners like Freud stressed the importance of self-analysis and training analysis for aspiring psychoanalysts. The idea was that the psychoanalyst needed to understand and confront his/her own psychological background and biases in order to effectively psychoanalyze future patients. On a more practical level, the training analysis, conducted by a senior psychoanalyst like Freud or one of his acolytes, would also demonstrate exactly how the process of psychoanalysis worked. Three elements thus formed the path for the psychoanalyst-in-training to become a full-fledged psychoanalyst: submitting to training analysis; attending rigorous seminars; and undertaking patient care under the supervision of a senior training analyst. This was not a cursory endeavor, and required both time and attention - at least four months, as Freud warns.

Freud wrote, in rough translation:

"Honored Colleague,

On July 14, I will start my vacation, which I would like to continue until October 1. Your July term, therefore, doesn't fit into my availability.

Starting October 1, I could still accept you for analysis. If only the registrations from England and America will leave me enough time to spare. I can't be sure of that yet. One condition, as far as you are concerned, is that you must have at least four months for it. Since I am not available for the autumn, but you would like to come to Vienna now, I can at least promise you an excellent substitute for my over-occupied person.

With friendly respects,

Yours,

Freud."

Freud traveled first to Bad Gastein, the spa town in the Austrian Alps which he frequented between ca. 1916-1923, often staying at the mountain-clinging resort the Villa Excelsior. In early September 1921, Freud met up with close associates in the Harz Mountains of Germany to hold a secretive summit on telepathy. He then continued on to Seefeld, in the Tyrol region of Austria.

Freud was just as busy as he claimed in the letter. He continued to see patients; mentor future psychoanalysts; publish essays, articles, case histories, and books on psychoanalysis; and consult with colleagues about concepts that expanded and deepened the field of psychology. Before Freud embarked on his summer vacation, he published his latest treatise, "Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego." In this work, Freud explored the dynamics between the group mentality of a "mass" and the individual member of that mass, who often sacrificed his/her own consciousness as they became more and more susceptible to the mob unconsciousness.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: framed: 17.375" x 14.625" x .75"
  • Medium: ALS

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