July 2020
Dear Colleague
Keep Sigmund Freud’s London home open
In March 1938, Nazi sympathisers in Vienna held Sigmund Freud’s eldest son at gunpoint for several hours. Not long after, the Gestapo interrogated Freud’s youngest daughter Anna.
Following these terrifying experiences, Sigmund Freud and his family fled to London and moved into the beautiful home which would remain Freud’s haven until his death in 1939. Anna Freud, the founder of child psychoanalysis, lived and worked here for the rest of her life. In 1986, this iconic house became the Freud Museum London.
A small, successful museum, this family home and its powerful stories have been shared with thousands of visitors. The unique atmosphere of Freud’s study, preserved as he left it, provides a deeply emotional and inspirational experience. The Museum is renowned for its ambitious programming, commissioning inspiring contemporary art projects, and reaching increasingly varied audiences.
Many who struggle with their mental health have been able to see Freud’s iconic psychoanalytic couch first hand, which represents the very origin of the psychotherapies that have supported them. For psychological professionals of every background and orientation, this house remains a beacon of the importance of depth psychology and the healing effects of the “talking cure”.
Due to the global pandemic the Museum has closed its doors. It receives no direct public funding, and, without visitors, has lost its principal source of income. We have been resourceful in maximizing available funds and developing alternative income streams. The Museum plans to reopen to limited audiences as soon as possible, but these measures are simply not enough to ensure our survival.
We are writing to you, as fellow mental health colleagues, to ask for your financial help and support during this uniquely challenging period. Please consider a gift to the Freud Museum London, perhaps equivalent to your fee for one session with a patient or client.
Card donations can be made online, or in GBP from anywhere in the world via PayPal.
It is possible to make Tax Free Donations from the United States to the Freud Museum London. To find out more please email [email protected]
Every penny will ensure the protection and survival of Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic legacy and his iconic couch. We are most grateful for all donations, however large or small.
We feel very privileged to preserve and share the Freud family home with a large and supportive community of clinical colleagues. With your help at this time, we can ensure its future.
Best wishes
Carol Seigel
Director, Freud Museum London
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