Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute
| Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute | |
|---|---|
| Organization details | |
| Type | Training institute and polyclinic |
| Founded | 1920 |
| Dissolved | 1936 (renamed and reorganized under Nazis) |
| Founder(s) | Karl Abraham, Max Eitingon, Ernst Simmel |
| Key figures | Sigmund Freud, Melanie Klein, Hanns Sachs, Franz Alexander |
| Orientation | Freudian |
| Institutional context | |
| Predecessor | Berlin Psychoanalytic Society |
| Successor(s) | German Institute for Psychological Research and Psychotherapy (Göring Institute); Karl Abraham Institute (post-war) |
| Affiliation | International Psychoanalytical Association |
| Relation to IPA | Model for IPA training standards |
| Operations | |
| Headquarters | Berlin, Germany |
| Geographic scope | National (Germany) |
| Training function | Eitingon model (theoretical courses, personal analysis, supervised cases) |
The Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute (BPI; German: Berliner Psychoanalytisches Institut) was a foundational institution in the history of psychoanalysis, established in Berlin in 1920 as a training center and polyclinic to advance Freudian theory and practice.[1][2] Affiliated with the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA), it introduced the influential "Eitingon model" of analyst training—combining theoretical seminars, personal analysis, and supervised clinical work—which became the global standard for psychoanalytic education.[1][2] Founded by key figures including Karl Abraham and Max Eitingon, the BPI served as a hub for innovation during the Weimar Republic but was dismantled under Nazi rule in the 1930s.[1][3]
History
Precursors and Origins
The BPI emerged from the Berlin Psychoanalytic Society, where as early as 1919, Max Eitingon and Ernst Simmel proposed a clinic for free analytic treatment to those unable to afford it, fulfilling a vision articulated by Sigmund Freud in 1918.[2][4] This led to the opening of the Psychoanalytic Polyclinic (Psychoanalytische Poliklinik) on February 14, 1920, at 29 Potsdamerstrasse, funded largely by Eitingon and directed by Simmel, with lecture rooms, consultation offices, and a library managed by Ernst Freud.[1][2]
Founding (1920–1923)
The polyclinic formally became the Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute on February 20, 1922, incorporating training programs with lectures, seminars, and control analyses under Karl Abraham's initial oversight.[2] By 1923, regulations countered "wild analysis" by requiring medical or pedagogical studies, preliminary interviews, didactic analysis (minimum six months), theoretical courses, and supervised polyclinic work.[2] The institute moved to larger premises at 10 Wichmannstrasse in 1928.[2]
The BPI flourished in the 1920s, attracting 222 students by 1931 and training non-therapeutic analysts from regional groups; it inspired institutes in Vienna, London, and numerous U.S. cities.[2]
Nazi Era and Dissolution
Nazi ascent drastically reduced candidates from 34 in 1932 to eight by 1934, with forced resignations of Jewish analysts (many founders had Jewish heritage).[2][3] In 1935–1936, the institute was "Aryanized," renamed the German Institute of Psychoanalysis, and its assets transferred to the Göring Institute (German Institute for Psychological Research and Psychotherapy), under state control.[1][2]
Post-War Legacy
Psychoanalytic traditions revived post-1945; the German Psychoanalytical Society (DPG) re-established in Berlin in 1946, renaming to DPG in 1950 and gaining IPA provisional status in 2001.[5] The Karl Abraham Institute, linked to the German Psychoanalytic Association (DPV), renewed BPI traditions in 1950.[2]
Organizational/Institutional Structure
The BPI operated with a hierarchical, "Prussian-like" structure, including a polyclinic, training institute, curriculum committee, and finance office.[2] Siegfried Bernfeld criticized its rigidity, which influenced emigrant analysts abroad.[2] A training analyst committee oversaw admissions, curricula, and approvals for autonomous practice.[2]
Training Model
The Eitingon model—personal (didactic) analysis, theoretical seminars, and supervised cases—remained standard; Eitingon chaired the IPA's International Training Committee from 1925.[1]
Training and Formation
Training emphasized a "novitiate" like a technical seminary: preliminary interviews, six-month minimum didactic analysis, two semesters of theory, two years supervised polyclinic work, then autonomy.[2] Child analysts required pedagogical studies; non-therapists attended non-technical courses.[2] Rebellious trainees formed the "Kinder-seminar" against regimentation.[2]
Key Concepts / Theoretical Orientation
Aligned with Freudian orthodoxy, the BPI propelled and challenged Freud's ideas, researching social-political implications and collaborating with the Institute for Sexual Science and Gestalt practitioners.[3][4] Its rigorous training countered wild analysis, prioritizing scientific respectability.[2]
Notable Members
- Karl Abraham: Led early courses; president of Berlin Society.[1]
- Max Eitingon: Funder, owner, and key innovator of training model.[1]
- Ernst Simmel: Polyclinic director.[2]
- Melanie Klein: Trained and worked there in the 1920s.[3]
- Hanns Sachs: Conducted analyses; described training as novitiate.[2]
- Franz Alexander: Promoted experimental ideas.[1]
- Alix Strachey, Sylvia Payne, James Glover: Trained there.[3]
See also
- Berlin Psychoanalytic Polyclinic
- History of psychoanalysis
- International Psychoanalytical Association
- Karl Abraham Institute
- German Psychoanalytic Association
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "What was the Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute?". penwithlit.com. 2021-06-11. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 "Berliner Psychoanalytisches Institut". Encyclopedia.com.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "The Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute" (PDF). happy-in-berlin.org. 2022. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "The Berlin Poliklinik: Psychoanalytic Innovation in Weimar Germany". pep-web.org.
- ↑ "German Psychoanalytical Society/DPG". epf-fep.eu.