Anna Freud: Latent Motivations

Yes, Sigmund Freud had a Daughter

Written by Bryan Zampella

Many people are aware of Sigmund Freud or at the very least the popular caricature of him in pop culture. Pop references usually show the cigar smoking father of psychoanalysis questioning a patient about how they feel towards their parents while they lay on a leather sofa. These representations serve as a fun remembrance of a person who contributed greatly to the field of psychology, but they do not even scratch the surface of his legacy. Not only did Sigmund Freud leave a written legacy to psychology but he also left an actual legacy in his daughter. Anna Freud may not be as popular among a mainstream audience, as the caricature of her father, but she has solidified her place in history because of her extraordinary life and her contributions to science and humanity. The current article delves into her life and achievements.

Anna Freud in Vienna, Austria

Anna Freud actually, started her professional career training as an elementary school teacher until she pivoted into psychoanalysis (Donaldson, 200 p.398). Following in her father’s footsteps Anna went from being the youngest daughter to the face of the Freud brand upon her father’s death from cancer in 1939. Anna Freud was born on December 3, 1885 in the Austrian city of Vienna. Anna was the youngest of six children and her parents were Sigmund Freud and Martha Bernays. Interestingly, Anna was born the same year that her father coupled his ideas on dream interpretation with psychoanalysis (Young, 1988 p.15). As Anna grew, so did psychoanalysis, and with it her father’s practice. The growth of Sigmund’s practice allotted Anna a pleasant childhood. Anna would spend her summers swimming with her siblings at Lake Molveno and sail boating in Lake Garda (Young, 1998 p.39). On the surface Anna lived a comfortable life during her childhood. However, below the surface she did suffer from depression and an eating disorder (Hartman, 2018).

Anna’s mental struggles could have had a few origins inhabiting different levels of her psyche. The most salient could have been that Anna was jealous of the beauty of her older sister Sophie. Feelings of inferiority and insecurity could have certainly contributed to Anna’s mental strife. In addition, there has been contradictory writings about her relationship with her mother such as in her autobiography (Young et al 1988) which describes their relationship as “pleasant.” Contrastingly, her autobiography also describes the relationship as not easy and lacking normal aspects between a mother and daughter. Delving deeper into her mental struggles, in adulthood, it had been speculated that Anna was in a lesbian relationship with Dorothy Burlingham (Coffey, 2015). Perhaps, her mental issues in childhood had to deal with her sexuality coupled with living in a historical time period, that was not accepting of same sex relationships. Whatever the reason for her distress, Sigmund Freud began to psychoanalyze her. It is unclear how much Sigmund Freud knew of his daughter’s true sexual preferences nevertheless in correspondence with a colleague he had disclosed that therapy on his daughter had gone well. (Young, 2018).

In 1913, Anna began an elementary school teaching apprenticeship. In a bad turn of events, before she could finish her final exam, she was stricken with whooping cough, and was too sick to finish (Young, 2018). However, upon recovery, she would eventually complete her educational requirements and began working as a schoolteacher. Unfortunately, Anna again became sick. This time, she would have bouts with tuberculosis and influenza from 1917 to 1920 (Young, 1988 p.78) It was at this time because of her health she gave up on school. It could be assumed that Anna had reflected on her life over this time and remerged in 1922 with her first paper entitled “beating fantasies and Daydreams” (Feminist Voice, 2021). Proceeding her paper, Anna became a member of The Vienna Psychoanalytical Society (Young, 2008). In 1923, she coupled her previous experience with schooling children and her father’s discipline of psychoanalysis and started her own psychoanalytical practice that concentrated on children (Young, 1988). In 1927, Anna Freud’s experience psychoanalyzing children inspired her to write her first book entitled “An Introduction to the Technique of Child Analysis.” Anna stayed very active with her practice and giving lectures. In 1936, she wrote “Ways and Means by which the Ego wards off Depression, Displeasure and Anxiety”, The Ego and The Mechanism of Defense (Feminist Voice, 2021).

Despite, Sigmund Freud’s feelings that lesbians, without the guidance of a father or a husband were unpredictable, unstable and not to be trusted, Anna had become his closest and most trusted companion (Coffey, 2015). Had conclusive evidence of Anna’s suspected homosexuality been discovered and widely known, it would be interesting to understand how Freud would have viewed his daughter then. At a time when homosexuality was extremely taboo, it would have been impossible for Sigmund to conduct a large-scale quantitative research study on the personality traits of lesbians. Most likely, he developed his opinions concerning homosexuality on his own anecdotal accounts. It is possible that, he may have viewed his daughter as an outlier, so as not to change his views. Another postulation could be that he actually did not feel negatively towards lesbians, but he strategically chose to marginalize them in public, as not to appear too progressive for the times.

The Nazi Threat

Adolph Hitler’s autobiographical manifesto Mein Kampf was published in 1925. The manifesto foreshadowed the horrors that would come to the world. At the time Hitler’s book was published, Anna Freud was 40 years old. The Nazi Party gained significant power in 1932 after the Reichstag general elections. These victories led to Hitler becoming the chancellor of Germany in 1933. Anna Freud, now forty-eight years old oversaw her father and his affairs, because of his old age and deteriorating health from jaw cancer (Young, 2018).

It is true that Anti-Jewish sentiment pre-dates the Nazi regime and had existed throughout Europe dating back to the Middle Ages. For this reason, perhaps, the Freuds underestimated the Nazi threat and did not flee their home of Austria before its annexation by Germany on March 12, 1938 (Hartman, 2014). Anti-Semitism was a reality for Jewish people, but it would have been difficult for them to imagine the systematic barbarism that was coming in the form of the Holocaust, starting in 1941. It had been apparent that the Nazi regime would be harsh to the Jewish community. However, it would be difficult to predict that the Germans would resort to committing mass genocide against the Jews.

Perhaps, it is safe to speculate that prior to the Nazi takeover, the Freuds being an influential family, would have been somewhat insulated against some of the Anti-Semitism that existed. However, as Nazi dominance rose, it became apparent that being Jewish of any status was becoming increasingly dangerous. After the annexation, the Freuds had been harassed and threatened by the Gestapo (Young, 1988). Arrangements were made by powerful non-Jewish people such as the princess of both Greece and Denmark Maria Bonaparte, a United States Ambassador William Bullock, and Ernest Jones who was then, the President of the International Psychoanalytical Association, the Italian Ambassador to Austria, and Dorothy Burlingham whom was the heiress to the Tiffany luxury jewelry retailer. These efforts essentially rescued the Freuds (Hartman, 2014). However, the family was only able to receive 18 adult visas and 6 children visas to England, which meant some of their family would be left in great peril (Edmunson, 2007).

Anna Freud in London

Shortly After arriving in London in 1939, Sigmund Freud had died, and Anna was the heir to the Freud psychoanalytic kingdom. The transition to matriarch would not be smooth as world war two was raging and no place on earth was out of reach for German aggression. Nevertheless, in England, Anna continued her own work, the solidification of her father’s legacy and the expansion of the Freud brand.

While in London Anna Freud made many achievements. For instance, in 1941 in conjunction with her friend and life partner Dorothy Burlingham, the two women founded the Hampstead War Nurseries. During, World War 2 the Hampstead War nursery provided foster care to children (Donaldson, 2000 p.399). The nursery also would have provided a place for Anna and Dorothy to observe children, which helped them make further contributions to childhood psychology. Despite World War 2 raging Anna Freud was being productive in London. However, in 1946 it would become evident that she may have physically escaped the Nazi’s, but they were still able to inflict damage on her. In that year it was confirmed by the Red Cross that her four Aunts that had remained in Austria, were murdered in German concentration camps. The murder of her aunts by the Germans gave Anna Freud enormous guilt (Young, 1988 p.280). It was all too common for survivors of the holocaust to experience survivor’s guilt (Jaffee, 1970). Anna Freud had not stepped foot in a concentration camp, but she could still be considered a survivor of the Holocaust (Hartman, 2014). With a heavy heart Anna continued her work and in 1952 she established the Hampstead Child Therapy Course and Clinic (Donaldson, 2000 p.400).

Later Years

In 1956 and at 70 years old Anna Freud published another paper entitled Normality and Pathology in Childhood.” This publication focused on the development of personality and the mediation of internal and external factors (Feminist Voices, 2021). She was awarded numerous honorary doctorates, but perhaps most befitting was the honorary doctorate that she received from the University of Vienna. The city from which she grew and had to flee so many years before. She traveled extensively giving lectures even at an advanced age. Eventually, Anna was given the award Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II (Feminist Voices, 2021).

Views on Altruism

Anna Freud had helped many people in addition to Sigmund Freud while she was alive through her practice, and her philanthropy. Anna had also been helped, particularly when she was rescued from Austria. Despite all of the “kindness” that can be found while examining her life, she did not believe in altruism, as it is generally understood today (Hartman, 2014). She used the term altruistic surrender to describe what she viewed as the masochistic nature of altruism (Seelig, 2001). In her view altruistic acts were always self-serving where the helper would use the helped as a proxy for some self-gain, particularly psychological (Hartman, 2014). In concerning altruism, Anna Freud states that, “it’s out of the badness of his heart (Sandler, 1985, p. 239).” An interpretation could be that people are motivated by guilt because of previous bad acts committed.

Considering Anna’s views on altruism it may be safe to assume an alternative motivation for being so loyal and helpful to her father. Perhaps, she embraced the role of the dutiful youngest daughter, who sacrificed marriage and children, in order to take care of her father, so as not to raise suspicion, of her same sex relationship with Dorothy Burlingham. It could be said that Anna Freud understood latent or hidden motives very well. Perhaps, her motives were not in fact altruistic, but then the question can be pondered, does motivation matter as long as someone has benefitted in a way, as to cause the least amount of harm? Assuming, she did open up her nursery to only observe children, in order to further her work, would it matter? She still helped.

Conclusion

Ann Freud lived an extraordinarily life and contributed greatly to science and humanity. Anna existed in a time of history where she was born with three strikes against her. She was a woman, a Jew, and a lesbian. But despite her disadvantages she was able to carve out a significant legacy for herself. Her achievements in science, particularly in childhood psychology will echo into the future. Anna was strategically able to conceal her relationship with Dorothy Burlingham and in that regard, she was able to sustain a meaningful same sex relationship, in a time where most lesbians would not have been able to. Professionally, even as a woman she was able to reach great heights of power and notoriety. The way Anna Freud was able to masterfully maneuver an oppressive time of history can be seen as inspirational, no matter her latent motivations.

References

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Donaldson, G. (2000). Freud, Anna. In A. E. Kazdin (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Psychology, Vol. 3. (pp. 398–400). American Psychological Association. https://doi-org.sunyoldwestbury.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/10518-198

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Sandler J , Freud A (1985). The analysis of defense: The ego and the mechanisms of defense revisited. New York, NY: International UP.

Seelig B , Rosof L (2001). Normal and pathological altruism. J Am Psychoanal Assoc 49:933–60.

Feminist Voices. (2021, March 6,). Anna Freud. https:www.feministvoices.com/Annafreud

Young‐bruehl E (1988). Anna Freud: A biography. New York, NY: Summit.