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Ernst Springs (2006)

Ernst Federn (born August 26, 1914 in Vienna ; † June 24, 2007 there ) was an Austrian psychoanalyst and Trotskyist resistance fighter against Austrofascism and National Socialism . He was a pioneer of the psychological analysis of life in concentration camps , of psychoanalytic pedagogy and of psychoanalytically oriented social work in prisons .

Life

Ernst Federn, photo by the Austrian State Police, November 6, 1936

Ernst Federn was a son of the psychoanalyst Paul Federn and the nephew of the business journalist Walther Federn and the writer Etta Federn-Kohlhaas and the writer Karl Federn . He graduated from the Academic Gymnasium in Vienna . At first he did not intend to become a psychoanalyst as well, but went into politics, which for a Marxist socialist at that time, in the 1930s in Austria, meant to go underground .

During the time of Austrofascism in 1936 he worked alongside Georg Scheuer , Karl Fischer a . a. When one of the co-founders of the Trotskyist Revolutionary Communists of Austria (RKÖ) was arrested twice by the Austrian authorities, but then released again, he was finally known shortly after the "Anschluss" of Austria because of his Trotskyist sentiments and his Jewish origins on March 14, 1938 Arrested again, this time by the Gestapo . As a concentration camp prisoner , he then survived for four months in the Dachau concentration camp (prisoner number 14168), then for almost seven years in the Buchenwald concentration camp (1st prisoner number 9122, 2nd prisoner number 2402).

As a Jew and Trotskyist, Federn was exposed to a twofold danger in the Buchenwald concentration camp: he had to assert himself not only against the SS , but also against his fellow prisoners in the prisoner self-administration that was dominated by Stalinists. Talking to a Trotskyist was forbidden. There was, however, a famous communist prisoner who had endured unheard of things in the camp. I talked to him a lot about psychoanalysis. He wasn't forbidden to speak to me. Since he had a great influence on the others, I got the call of psychoanalyst in the camp. You could talk to me after all, people could talk to me about themselves and their problems.

Bruno Bettelheim was Federn's fellow prisoner for a few months , and the two of them discussed the psychology of terror.

At the beginning of April 1945, Federn was saved from a death march by his Trotskyist friend and fellow prisoner Karl Fischer since 1944, shortly before the Buchenwald concentration camp was liberated, by handing over the camp's own white protective bandage (see pictures of a letter from Ernst Federn dated March 30, 1963 to Maria Johanna Fischer in the Picture gallery). Ernst Federn himself: “As you probably know, Karl saved my life in one (sic!) Of the most critical moments before liberation. I feel obliged to him (sic!) Forever. ” (See photos of the letter in the picture gallery)

In April 1945, Ernst Federn was liberated by the United States Army . While still in the concentration camp, on April 20, 1945, together with three other prisoners, including Karl Fischer, he published the declaration by the internationalist communists of Buchenwald , in which the authors turned against Stalinism and advocated an Austrian Soviet republic. A return to Austria seemed too dangerous to Federn as a staunch opponent of Stalin - a realistic assessment: his friend Karl Fischer, for example, was kidnapped by the Soviet secret service in Linz in January 1947 and taken to Siberia. After his final release from the concentration camp, Federn continued his political engagement in Brussels .

Ernst Springs 1990
Award certificate from the Vienna City Council for Ernst Federn

In his attempt at a psychology of terror , first published in 1946, there was no interest in the post-war period, which was marked by anti-communism. A similar thing happened to Federn with the minutes of the so-called Wednesday Society , the circle around Freud, which had met since 1902. Feder edited this source, which is extremely important for the history of psychoanalysis , together with the psychoanalyst Hermann Nunberg .

Feder emigrated to the USA in 1948 with his wife Hilde Federn, nee couple . He lived there until 1961 in New York City , then until 1972 in Cleveland , Ohio, and worked as a family counselor, social worker and psychotherapist. In New York, the Federn couple were acquainted with the Holocaust survivor and psychoanalyst Zvi Lothane and his wife Malcha.

In 1973, at the invitation of Bruno Kreisky and Christian Broda , Federn returned to Austria and worked as a psychotherapist and supervisor in the reform of the penal system . a. established psychoanalytically oriented social work with prisoners.

Federn's work has received several awards: in 2001 it was approved by the University of Kassel by the Department of Education / Human Sciences , the honorary doctorate conferred, as he drew the SPÖ out with its highest award. Furthermore, it was in September 2004 in recognition of his outstanding achievements by decision of the Vienna City Council , the Honorary Medal of the Austrian capital Vienna awarded in silver (see picture of the award certificate).

Ernst and Hilde Federn's son Thomas (Tom) Federn (born October 26, 1950) lives and works in New York City as a “Master of Social Work” (MSW), ie in the same professional field as his father.

Picture gallery

  • Ernst Federn's letter to Maria Johanna Fischer on the death of Karl Fischer , Cleveland , Ohio , March 30, 1963, p. 1

  • Ernst Federn's letter to Maria Johanna Fischer on the death of Karl Fischer, Cleveland, Ohio, March 30, 1963, p. 2

  • Ernst Federn, April 30, 2006

Fonts (selection)

As an author

  • On the psychoanalysis of psychotherapies . Edition diskord, Tübingen 1997, ISBN 3-89295-620-0 .
  • A life with psychoanalysis. From Vienna via Buchenwald and the USA back to Vienna. Psychosozial-Verlag, Giessen 1999, ISBN 3-932133-86-2 (= Edition psychosozial ).
  • Attempt a psychology of terror. In: Roland Kaufhold (Ed.): Ernst Federn: Attempts for the psychology of terror. Material on the life and work of Ernst Federn . Psychosozial-Verlag, Giessen 1999, pp. 35-75, ISBN 3-932133-47-1 (= edition psychosozial ).
    • Follow-up book: Ernst Federn: Attempts on the Psychology of National Socialist Terror , edited by Roland Kaufhold, with studies by Roland Kaufhold, Bernhard Kuschey, Marita Barthel-Rösing, Wilhelm Rösing, Psychosozial-Verlag, Giessen 2014, ISBN 978-3-8379-2346- 9 .

As editor

  • Hermann Nunberg; Ernst Federn (Ed.): Protocols of the Vienna Psychoanalytical Association. 4 volumes, Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 1976–1981 DNB 550602380 ; New edition: Psychosozial-Verlag, Giessen 2007, ISBN 978-3-89806-598-6 .
  • Freud in conversation with his colleagues: from the minutes of the Vienna Psychoanalytical Association . Edited, introduced and with intermediate texts by Ernst Federn, Fischer Taschenbuch, Frankfurt am Main 1984, ISBN 3-596-26774-9 .
  • Ernst Federn, Gerhard Wittenberger (ed.): From the circle around Sigmund Freud: to the protocols of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Association . Fischer Taschenbuch, Frankfurt am Main 1992, ISBN 3-596-10809-8 ( review by Wolfgang Frindte ).

literature

  • Cécile Denis: Continuités et divergences dans la presse clandestine de résistants allemands et autrichiens en France pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale: KPD, KPÖ, Revolutionary Communists et trotskystes . Thèse de doctorat réalisée sous la direction d'Hélène Camarade, soutenue publiquement le 10 December 2018 à l'université Bordeaux-Montaigne (dissertation at the University of Bordeaux-Montaigne ), Bordeaux 2018. (French)
  • Questions about the ethics and technique of psychoanalytic social work. Festschrift for Ernst Federn. (Conference in November 1994 in Rottenburg). Ed .: Association for Psychoanalytic Social Work Rottenburg and Tübingen. Edition diskord, Tübingen 1995.
  • Stephan Becker (Ed.): Helping instead of healing. Ernst Federn on his 80th birthday . Psychosozial-Verlag, Giessen 1995.
  • Rosita Anna Ernst: The Federn family through the ages. A biographical and industrial history analysis of a psychoanalytically oriented family. With special consideration of the life and work of Ernst Federn. GRIN-Verlag , Munich 2009; also diploma thesis University of Klagenfurt 2002, ISBN 978-3-640-24767-7 .
  • Roland Kaufhold (ed.): Attempts on the psychology of terror. Material on the life and work of Ernst Federn. Psychosozial-Verlag , Giessen 1998, ISBN 3-932133-47-1 .
  • Roland Kaufhold: Bettelheim, Ekstein, Federn. Impulses for the psychoanalytical-educational movement . With a foreword by Ernst Federn. Psychosozial-Verlag, Giessen 2001.
  • Roland Kaufhold: Memory of Hilde Federn (October 26, 1910 to January 19, 2005). In: child analysis. Volume 13, Issue 2, 2005, pp. 234-237.
  • Roland Kaufhold: Biographical continuity, emigration and psychoanalytical-pedagogical engagement. Laudation for Ernst Federn on his 90th birthday. In: psychosocial. 28. Vol. 100 (Issue 2/2005), pp. 75-83.
  • Roland Kaufhold: Surviving and processing traumatization - the life and work of the pioneer of psychoanalysis Ernst Federn. In: M. Krisor, K. Wunderlich (ed.): Especially in difficult times: Anchoring community psychiatry - international contributions . Pabst Science Publishers, Lengerich / Berlin 2007, pp. 182-199.
  • Roland Kaufhold: Remembrance of Ernst Federn, pioneer of psychoanalytic education and social worker (August 26, 1914 - June 24, 2007). In: child analysis. 4/2007.
  • Roland Kaufhold: Documents Pertinent to the History of Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Pedagogy: The Correspondence Between Bruno Bettelheim and Ernst Federn . In: The Psychoanalytic Review. (New York), vol. 95, no. 6/2008, pp. 887-928.
  • Bernhard Kuschey: The exception to survival. Ernst and Hilde Federn. A biographical study and analysis of the internal structure of the concentration camp . 2 volumes. Psychosozial-Verlag, Giessen 2003.
  • Bernhard Kuschey (Ed.): Critical use of psychoanalysis and social application. Ernst Federn on his 90th birthday . Verlag der Theodor Kramer Gesellschaft , Vienna 2006, ISBN 3901602267 .
  • Bernhard Kuschey: Obituary for Ernst Federn (1914-2007). In: Zwischenwelt. Journal of the Culture of Exile and Resistance. Ed. Theodor Kramer Society. 24th year No. 1/2; Vienna, October 2007 ISSN  1606-4321 pp. 40–41
  • Tomas Plänkers , Ernst Federn: Expulsion and Return. Interviews on the history of Ernst Federn and psychoanalysis. Diskord, Tübingen 1994, ISBN 3-89295-586-7 .
  • Peter Theiss-Abendroth: Ernst Federn: Notes on a survivor. Published by the Centrum Judaicum . Hentrich & Hentrich , Berlin 2014, ISBN 978-3-95565-074-2 (= Jewish miniatures , volume 153).
  • Roland Kaufhold: Ernst Federn's attempts at the psychology of the National Socialist terror.
  • Roland Kaufhold, Galina Hristeva (ed.): “Understanding violence”. ?? On the 100th birthday of the psychoanalyst and psychoanalytic social worker Ernst Federn (= psychoanalysis. Texts on social research. Vol. 18, no. 2). 2014 ( online ).

Web links

Commons : Ernst Federn  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Entry about Paul Federn on psyalpha.net .
  2. ↑ Bernhard Kuschey: The exception of survival. Ernst and Hilde Federn. A biographical study and analysis of the internal structures of the concentration camp. Psychosozial-Verlag, Gießen 2003, ISBN 3-89806-173-6 , pp. 222 ff and 235 ff.
  3. ↑ Bernhard Kuschey: The exception of survival. Ernst and Hilde Federn. A biographical study and analysis of the internal structures of the concentration camp. Psychosozial-Verlag, Gießen 2003, ISBN 3-89806-173-6 , p. 267 ff.
  4. ↑ Bernhard Kuschey: The exception of survival. Ernst and Hilde Federn. A biographical study and analysis of the internal structures of the concentration camp. Psychosozial-Verlag, Gießen 2003, ISBN 3-89806-173-6 , p. 325 ff.
  5. ↑ Bernhard Kuschey: The exception of survival. Ernst and Hilde Federn. A biographical study and analysis of the internal structures of the concentration camp. Psychosozial-Verlag, Giessen 2003, ISBN 3-89806-173-6 , p. 1028.
  6. ↑ Bernhard Kuschey: The exception of survival. Ernst and Hilde Federn. A biographical study and analysis of the internal structures of the concentration camp. Psychosozial-Verlag, Giessen 2003, ISBN 3-89806-173-6 , p. 1032.
  7. ↑ Bernhard Kuschey: The exception of survival. Ernst and Hilde Federn. A biographical study and analysis of the internal structures of the concentration camp. Psychosozial-Verlag, Gießen 2003, ISBN 3-89806-173-6 , p. 397 ff.
  8. ↑ Buchenwald Memorial: Ernst Federn , website of the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorial Foundation, accessed on February 26, 2019.
  9. ↑ a b We actually heal through love. In: Profile. The independent news magazine Austria, No. 15, Volume 37, April 10, 2006, pp. 106f.
  10. ↑ Tomas Plänkers , Ernst Federn: Expulsion and return. Interviews on the history of Ernst Federn and psychoanalysis. Diskord, Tübingen 1994, ISBN 3-89295-586-7 , pp. 158f.
  11. ^ Roland Kaufhold: Bettelheim, Ekstein, Federn. Impulses for the psychoanalytical-educational movement. Psychosozial Verlag, Giessen 2001, ISBN 978-3-89806-069-1 .
  12. ↑ Bernhard Kuschey: The exception of survival. Ernst and Hilde Federn. A biographical study and analysis of the internal structures of the concentration camp. Psychosozial-Verlag, Giessen 2003, ISBN 3-89806-173-6 , pp. 754, 833 and 841f.
  13. ↑ a b Letter from Ernst Federn to Maria Johanna Fischer, the wife of Karl Fischer, Cleveland , Ohio, March 30, 1963. Letter in private ownership, see photos in the picture gallery.
  14. ^ Brigitte Bailer-Galanda , Documentation Archive of the Austrian Resistance (Ed.): Jüdische Schicksale. (= Story told. Reports from resistance fighters and persecuted. Volume 3) ÖBV, Vienna 1992, ISBN 3-216-06377-1 , p. 591.
  15. ^ Declaration by Buchenwald's internationalist communists ( Memento from August 7, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
  16. ↑ a b Obituary by Roland Kaufhold .
  17. ^ Entry by Ernst Federn ( memento from October 29, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) in the PADD's personal index, Psychoanalytic Document Database .
  18. ↑ Gernot Nieder: Federn, Ernst. In: Gerhard Stumm, Alfred Pritz, Paul Gumhalter, Nora Nemeskeri, Martin Voracek (eds.): Personal Lexicon of Psychotherapy. Springer, Frankfurt 2005, ISBN 3-211-29396-5 , pp. 133f.
  19. ↑ Roland Kaufhold: Ernst Federn's Attempts on the Psychology of National Socialist Terror , page on hagalil.com, accessed on February 4, 2019.
  20. ↑ University of Kassel: Honorary Members , Honorary Doctorates : Ernst Federn - Honor in 2001, page at www.uni-kassel.de, accessed on February 4, 2019.
  21. ^ Rosita Anna Ernst: The Federn family in the course of time. A biographical and industrial history analysis of a psychoanalytically oriented family. With special consideration of the life and work of Ernst Federn. Grin-Verlag, Munich 2009, ISBN 978-3-640-24767-7 , p. 81f.
personal data
SURNAME Springs, Ernst
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian psychoanalyst and resistance fighter
DATE OF BIRTH August 26, 1914
PLACE OF BIRTH Vienna
DATE OF DEATH June 24, 2007
Place of death Vienna