Why read Freud’s biographies?

Many visitors to the Freud Museum become curious about Freud’s life, family, friends, and work.

They frequently ask questions such as: How long did Freud live in London? How many sisters did he lose in concentration camps? How many children did he have, and how many patients did he see each day? What was his daily routine like?

Freud’s life was far from easy. Born in Pribor to a modest family, he moved to Vienna at a young age.  From an early stage, he devoted himself intensely to his studies, learning several languages and working hard throughout his life.

Freud’s experiences were shaped by the tumultuous events of his time, which significantly influenced his personal and professional development. His life took place during a period of significant global changes, including population growth, urbanisation, advancements in transportation, the rise of capitalism, and two World Wars.

Throughout his career, Freud faced severe criticism and isolation from the medical community, but this did not prevent him from developing psychoanalysis.

Freud was a highly prolific writer, publishing more than 320 works throughout his life, including books, essays papers and letters that cover a wide range of topics in psychoanalysis.

How did his personal life impact his theory?

Freud’s theories were deeply intertwined with the external challenges he faced, including the impact of major historical events and personal tragedies.

Freud had a profound passion for antiquities and archaeology, which deeply influenced his work. He viewed the human mind as a ground to be uncovered much like an archaeological site. This analogy shaped his theories on the unconscious and dream interpretation, contributing to seminal works such as The Interpretation of Dreams and Totem and Taboo. Freud used his interest in archaeology to enrich his psychoanalytic theories.

The death of Freud’s father in 1896 had a profound impact on his personal and professional life, directly influencing the development of his theories. This event triggered an intense process of self-analysis in Freud, forcing him to confront feelings of guilt and ambivalence towards his father.

Freud also analysed his own dreams, which served as the foundation for his book The Interpretation of Dreams (published in 1900). Here, he wrote that dreams were the “royal road” to the unconscious, and this work is widely considered the beginning of psychoanalysis.

The famous Freudian theory of the Oedipus complex may have been influenced by Freud’s close relationship with his mother, Amalia Freud. In addition to the observations Freud made of his hysterical patients, Freud’s position as his mother’s favoured child may have also contributed to the development of this theory, which later became one of the pillars of psychoanalysis.

Freud’s personal life was marked by significant turmoil, struggles, and separations, including profound losses. He lived through periods of war, which deeply influenced his work. During this time, Freud examined the impacts of war and its effects  in writings such as Thoughts for the Times on War and Death (1915), Introduction to Psycho-analysis and the War Neuroses (1919) and Why War? (1932).

The death of his daughter Sophie during the Spanish flu pandemic was particularly devastating for Freud. This tragedy profoundly affected him and heightened his focus on themes of death and mourning. It led him to explore the concept that death, while destructive, is also an intrinsic part of human nature, reflected in his theories on the life and death drives.

Freud also underwent 32 surgeries in his battle against jaw cancer due to his cigar smoking habit. Despite this, he continued to work tirelessly, using a prosthesis to help him speak and eat.

He had significant friendships with colleagues over the years, many of which ended in painful breakups, such as with Fliess, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, Ferenczi and others. These personal and intellectual conflicts led Freud to refine his own theories, emphasising the importance of the unconscious and the sexuality, which he believed were underestimated by his collaborators.

Freud always maintained a strong bond with his family, especially with his wife Martha and their six children. Family life and mutual support were crucial for the development of his theory and for facing the difficulties he encountered throughout his life. His relationship with his daughter Anna was particularly close, and she followed in his footsteps, becoming a renowned psychoanalyst.

Although Freud was not a practicing Jew, his Jewish heritage significantly influenced his theories. This is reflected in works such as Moses and Monotheism, Totem and Taboo, and The Future of an Illusion, where he explores how cultural and religious aspects, including his Jewish background, contributed to his understanding of human behaviour and culture.

Freud faced persecution under the Nazi regime, and his daughter Anna was imprisoned by the Gestapo. This persecution was a decisive factor in Freud’s departure from Vienna to exile in London. Tragically, his sisters, whose fate was unknown to him, later died in concentration camps.

Even after his death, Freud remains a controversial and extensively studied figure, with ongoing debates surrounding his theories. His contributions continue to significantly impact various disciplines and our understanding of the human mind and behaviour.

Reading his biography not only provides a deeper understanding of his personal life but also reveals how his personal experiences influenced his work and vice versa.

Bellow are some of the most important biographies offering an exploration of Freud’s life—from his early years to his enduring influence on the field of psychoanalysis.

Sigmund Freud “An Autobiographical Study” (1924)

Here, Freud discusses his personal and professional life, from his childhood in Freiberg (now Pribor, Czech Republic) and his academic career in Vienna to the crucial moments that led to his development of psychoanalytic theory. He also covers his scientific influences, early work with hypnosis, and the development of concepts such as the unconscious and defence mechanisms. Additionally, Freud addresses how his ideas were received in the scientific community and his collaborations and disagreements with figures like Carl Jung and Alfred Adler.

The autobiography provides an insider’s view of Freud’s life, career, and the evolution of psychoanalysis.

“Shortly before I wrote this study, it seemed that my life was soon to end due to the recurrence of a malignant disease, but surgical skill saved me in 1923 and I was able to continue my life and work, although I was no longer immune to pain.”  (FREUD,  1925)

Freud writes about his experience at the university:

“There I encountered this strange requirement: I was supposed to feel inferior and excluded from the nationality of others because I was Jewish […] I could never understand why I should be ashamed of my origins, or as they started to say: of my race […] One consequence of these early impressions at the university, which later proved significant, was the fact that I became familiar early on with the fate of being in opposition and enduring the opposition of a ‘solid majority'” (FREUD, 1925)

 

Peter Gay’s “Freud: A Life for Our Time” (1988)     

 

This comprehensive account details Freud’s early years, family life, and the development of his psychoanalytic theories. Gay provides insights into Freud’s personal and professional relationships, placing his ideas within his time’s broader cultural and intellectual context. This biography covers key concepts such as the unconscious, dream interpretation, and the evolution of psychoanalysis.

Gay, a prominent historian known for his work on cultural and intellectual history, was born in Berlin in 1923 and fled Nazi Germany in 1939. He later earned his Ph.D. from Columbia University and taught at Columbia and Yale University.

His biography of Freud has been widely praised for its thorough research, engaging narrative, and accessible presentation of complex psychoanalytic ideas, making it an essential resource for understanding Freud’s life and the impact of his theories on modern psychology and culture.

 

Ernest Jones’s “The Life and Work of Sigmund Freud” (1953-1957)    

 

Published in three volumes, this biography provides a detailed account of Freud’s life and theories.

The first volume covers Freud’s early life, education, and the development of his initial theories.

The second volume focuses on the expansion of Freud’s ideas, his professional conflicts, and the establishment of the psychoanalytic movement. The third volume delves into Freud’s later years, his struggles with illness, and his lasting impact on psychology.

Jones, a prominent Welsh neurologist and psychoanalyst, was closely associated with Freud and crucial in promoting psychoanalytic theory. Born in 1879, Jones initially trained in medicine but soon became a devoted follower of Freud’s work. He played a key role in establishing the British Psychoanalytical Society and the International Psychoanalytical Association. His biography is widely regarded as the definitive account of Freud’s life, praised for its meticulous research and depth of insight.

 

Elisabeth Roudinesco’s  “Sigmund Freud: In His Time and Ours” (2016)

 

This biography offers a deep dive into the life and impact of Freud. Roudinesco, a French historian and psychoanalyst born in 1944 in Paris, has made significant contributions to the field of psychoanalysis through her scholarly writings. Her background in literature, history, and psychoanalysis informs her deep understanding of the cultural and intellectual contexts in which psychoanalysis developed. Her biography of Freud is characterized by thorough research, a critical perspective, and an accessible writing style, making complex psychoanalytic concepts understandable to a wide audience. Roudinesco explains how Freud’s struggles, growth as a thinker, and the turbulent times he lived through shaped his ideas. She covers key concepts like the unconscious mind, dreams, and desires, showing how Freud’s ideas were revolutionary and remain important today.

 

 

Max Schur’s “Freud: Living and Dying” (1972)

 

This biography provides an insightful narrative of Freud’s final years. As Freud’s personal physician and confidant, Schur offers a deeply intimate perspective on Freud’s battle with oral cancer and the profound impact of illness on his life and work. The book details Freud’s medical treatments, his emotional responses to illness, and his determination to continue his psychoanalytic endeavours despite deteriorating health. Schur’s biography is praised for its understanding and shows Freud’s resilience and deep thinking during this tumultuous period. It explores Freud’s philosophical thoughts on mortality and how his illness shaped his evolving theories, providing readers with a clear view of Freud’s mental and intellectual journey towards the end of his life.