Conference Report

"Sigmund Freud shaped the twentieth century idea of what a person is; we would not recognise ourselves without him; his influence reverberates in Henry James and Virginia Woolf, Alfred Hitchcock and David Lynch, the art of the Surrealists and the lure of advertisements. Freud's stories have become our stories, his map our map, his questions our questions..." Marina Warner (introduction to 20 Maresfield Gardens, the official Freud Museum guide book).

If 2005 was the year of Einstein, 2006 was a year to celebrate the impact of that other great 20th century intellectual figure, Sigmund Freud.
For Freud's 150th anniversary the British Psychoanalytical Society and the Freud Museum initiated worldwide celebrations with a major international conference held at the University of Westminster in London's Regent Street.

Freud's impact is incalculable. As W H Auden said at the time of his death, he has become a 'whole climate of opinion'. The burgeoning impact of 'talking therapies' of different kinds are a direct legacy of Freud, but his work extends beyond the confines of the 'inner world' to the world of politics, culture and society. The conference reflected that influence by bringing together psychoanalysts, historians, anthropologists, politicians, writers and others for a weekend of exploration and dialogue. As befitted Freud's global influence, the event included eminent participants from Germany, France, the USA and Britain, who together showed the continuing relevance and vibrancy of Freud's thought in the 21st century. The weekend began on Friday evening with a screening at Tate Britain of Secrets of a Soul: A psychoanalytical drama (Geheimnisse einer Seele; Germany, 1926, 57mins).

A new print of the film by G W Pabst was introduced by psychoanalyst Ron Baker. We would like to thank all of the speakers and chairs who gave their time and expertise to honour Freud and support the Freud Museum. Special thanks should go to Ken Robinson, Susan Loden (chair of the conference committee) and Allie Dillon (administrator) from the archives of the British Psychoanalytical Society and Riccardo Steiner (scientific advisor), without whom this conference would not have taken place.

To download the Conference leaflet, please click here (c.5 MB).