Freud, Sigmund

stating that before replying he read his letter again and quite forgot it was written by a master of style, so truthful did it come across, noting that it almost convinced him of his significance, explaining that although he has no doubts about the truth of his theories, he finds it difficult to believe that they will exercise a demonstrable influence on the near future, seeing himself as much less important as he represents him, observing that his address, written with Thomas Mann, and Mann's Vienna talk were the two experiences which were able to reconcile him to having become so old, commenting that, although his home life is unusually happy, and he has a daughter, particularly, who lives up to all the expectations of a father, he cannot quite get used to the pitifulness and helplessness of old age, viewing the passage into non-existence with a kind of longing; in a final paragraph Freud notes that the exceptional status he has assigned him will then [with his death] come to an end, observing humorously that in the gallery of remarkable people set up by him, which he jokingly refers to as his panopticon, he is certainly not the most interesting person, but he is at least the only one who is actually alive

...Vor der Beantwortung habe ich Ihren Brief wieder gelesen. Ich konnte vergessen, daß ein Meister des Stils ihn geschrieben hat. Er klingt so einfach wahrhaft. Er hätte mich beinahe von meiner Bedeutung überzeugt. Nicht, daß ich am Wahrheitsgehalt meiner Lehren selbst zweifelte, aber es fällt mir schwer zu glauben, daß sie einen nachweisbaren Einfluß auf die Entwicklung der näheren Zukunft aüssern könnten. So komme ich mir viel weniger wichtig vor, als Sie mich darstellen...



2 pages, 4to, on stationery printed "Prof. D^r. Freud Wien, IX., Berggasse 19.", autograph envelope, [Vienna,] Strassergasse 47, 18 May 1936, horizontal fold

The British Medical Journal 1 (3931), [9 May 1936], p. 946

Freud had celebrated his eightieth birthday twelve days before, on 6 May 1936. The published English version of the congratulatory letter presented to him on that occasion, and which had as its signatories Thomas Mann, Romain Rolland, Jules Romains, H. G. Wells, Virginia Woolf and Stefan Zweig, was as follows:

The eightieth birthday of Sigmund Freud gives us the welcome opportunity of offering our congratulations and homage to the Master whose discoveries have opened up the way to a new and profounder understanding of mankind. He has made eminent contributions to medicine, psychology, philosophy and art, and has been for two generations the pioneer in exploring the hitherto unknown regions of the mind. Intellectually independent, "ein Mann mit erzenem Blick" - as Nietzsche said of Schopenhauer - able to stand alone and draw to himself disciples, he followed his chosen path and advanced truths which, just because they uncovered what was hidden and illuminated what was obscure, seemed dangerous and alarming. Everywhere he put forward new problems and changed old standards. The results of his work have extended the field of research, and the stimulus he gave to creative thought made even his opponents his debtors. Future ages may reconstruct or limit this or that conclusion, but his questions will never be silenced nor his achievements permanently obscured. The ideas he formulated and the terms he coined have become part of our daily life, and in every field of knowledge, in literature, art, research, history of religion, prehistory, mythology, folklore, pedagogy, and last but not least in poetry we can trace his influence. The most memorable achievement of our generation will be, beyond doubt, the psychological achievement of Sigmund Freud.

We cannot picture the intellectual world to-day without his work, and we rejoice in his presence among us and in his unabated activity. May our gratitude accompany his days.