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German psychoanalysis during the Third Reich
Journal article   Open access

German psychoanalysis during the Third Reich

Eric A Zillmer
Contemporary psychology, v 48(5), pp 626-628
01 Oct 2003
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/000914
url
https://doi.org/10.1037/000914View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)Open Access (License Unspecified),  Open

Abstract

Fascism History of Psychology Human Psychoanalysis
Reviews the book, Death of a "Jewish Science" by James E. Goggin and Eileen Brockman Goggin (see record 2001-00395-000). There are at least two main themes in this well-researched and detailed text. First, the authors examine the persecution of those individuals who practiced the "Jewish science" of psychoanalysis. Furthermore, the authors uncover the fates of the gentile psychoanalysts who remained in Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945. This focus on the psychoanalysts and psychotherapists who participated to varying degrees in the demise of psychoanalysis is a genuine contribution to the literature and makes for interesting reading. The second more ambitious goal of the text tackles a larger political and philosophical question: Can a profession, such as psychoanalysis, survive a political system such as totalitarianism, or would psychoanalysis "extinguish in [the] darkness" of the Third Reich (p. 10)? The second theme is of interest because it provides a springboard from which to discuss the impact of the Third Reich on psychology and culture. The text is an intricate account of this issue, one which the authors report took 12 years to complete. The experience of reading the text is similar to that of a research monograph where much complex information is presented. Overall, Goggin and Goggin have written a text that is highly engaging and interesting. Much has been written about the profession of German medicine during the Third Reich, but comparatively speaking, less focus has been given to the profession of psychology during Nazi Germany. Thus, Goggin and Goggin's text on the history of psychoanalysis and its practitioners during the Third Reich is a welcomed addition to the field. In dealing with the main themes of the text it becomes quickly apparent to the reader, however, that the authors' intellectual journey is much more interesting than their destination. Death of a Jewish Science" should appeal to any psychologist who is interested in the history of psychology and psychoanalysis, the practice of psychology during the Third Reich, or the relationship between psychology and totalitarianism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

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