Between two wars. Psychoanalysis in Europe, 1918-1938

Area of Science:

• Psychoanalytic History
• Institutional Development
• Socio-Political Influences on Psychology

Background:

• Traces the institutional history of European psychoanalysis from 1918 to 1938, highlighting major training centers.
• Focuses on the organizational structure of institutes in Berlin, Vienna, and London, with brief mentions of Prague, Budapest, and Paris.
• Acknowledges the absence of a comprehensive history of psychoanalysis in Russia.

Observation:

• Key controversies such as lay analysis, Melanie Klein's theories, and Ferenczi's techniques are discussed to differentiate institutes.
• The International Psychoanalytic Association (IPA) provided unity despite institutional variations.
• Political events, like the Anschluss, drastically impacted psychoanalysis in continental Europe.

Findings:

• Political events profoundly influenced the expansive phase of psychoanalysis, affecting even theoretical developments like Freud's repetition-compulsion.
• Socioeconomic conditions varied in their impact, favoring analytic idea propagation in post-war Berlin but hindering it in Vienna.
• National contexts fostered distinct forms of psychoanalysis and institutional structures within the broader international movement.

Implications:

• The study underscores the significant interplay between historical-political contexts and the evolution of psychoanalytic thought and practice.
• Variations in psychoanalytic institutes suggest that national socioeconomic and political landscapes shape the development and reception of psychological theories.
• Understanding these historical influences is crucial for contemporary psychoanalytic discourse and institutional organization.