I've been doing a lot of things, some of them useful, others stressful--for example, trying to learn German in 3 1/2 weeks--in preparation for my upcoming trip to Vienna. Freudian Food Among the useful ones: Having the book Zu Tisch du Sigmund Freud, by Katja Behling-Fischer--At Sigmund Freud's Table: Lifestyle, Hospitality and Eating Habits of the Founder of
Psychology
Oscar Nemon: Sculptor of Freud & Friends (Including Dogs)
My discovery of Oscar Nemon -- probably the most famous sculptor that almost no one has ever heard of -- started with a comment I received the other day on an earlier post, Richard Tauber: "How Can I Be a Jew?": Congratulations on an informative and amusing blog. As you mention Richard Tauber I thought you or one of your readers might be interested in my quest to
Did Freud Sleep With His Sister-in-Law?
Today, I'm pleased not only to return to Freud Friday after a long absence but also to give you a double header: On my friend Vera Marie Badertscher's excellent A Traveler's Library site, I review Freud's Mistress by Karen Mack and Jennifer Kaufman (see The Steamy Side of Vienna). Although I discuss some problems I have with the book there, including my feeling that it doesn't
Flee, Fight — or Hide? Bruno Bettleheim, Anne Frank & My Family
Of the many discoveries I've made about my extended family lately, one of the most startling was that several relatives spent the war in an attic in Holland. According to the Yad Vashem site, Johannes van den Berg and his wife, Anna, hid 14 people in their home in the town of Velp, Gelderland. Among them were Nina and Ferdinand Schmerling, their daughter, Stella Schmerling
Freud’s Butcher, Year One: Five Highlights
It's hard to believe that a year has passed since I wrote my first post here, a speculation on whether Freud ate kosher. It's been quite the wild ride since then -- a statement that might surprise those who think that genealogy is boring. But if you use the term family history -- emphasis on family -- and realize that family historians deal with people who are alive and/or who
Losing Freud, Finding Stella
It's been nearly a year now since I started Freud's Butcher, and what a roller coaster ride it's been! I'll talk more about that in August, the actual one-year blogiversary. It's just a fortuitous coincidence that these last few weeks have made me re-examine one of the blog's basic premises, while reminding me why I started writing here. My Mother's Story -- and She Stuck to
Framing Sigmund: The Mystery of Freud’s Glasses
Sigmund Freud's glasses are as central to his image as his cigars are -- perhaps more so. After middle age, Freud is never photographed sans specs, but his smokes are occasionally absent. Yet while Freud's cigars are much analyzed, his eye wear remains a mystery. Maybe Moscot? My interest in the topic was piqued earlier this week when my friend Penelope Starr wrote me that
Word Play: Pondering Family, Food & Freud
It's a holiday weekend. I have several posts half finished, waiting for additional historical information to arrive or, in the case of some difficult topics, for the right angle to strike me. So I decided to tinker with my blog -- specifically, with the names of my subcategories, Genealogy, Psychology & Meat. Because I didn't fuss over them enough the first time
Freud Friday: The Incredible, Edible Freud
It's been several months since I visited New York and received a delightful gift from Lothar Hoelbling, the former archivist of the Jewish Community of Vienna. Writing in advance of my meeting with him, I said he should be prepared to answer a lot of questions about the archives. Perhaps he hoped to head me off by bribing me with clever Freud candy. I was charmed, but still
Ezriel Kornmehl Seeks Out Sigmund Freud
Earlier this week, I returned to the story of Ezriel Kornmehl, introducing his parents and siblings -- and throwing in a little celebrity glitter. Today I take him from his birth in Tarnow, Poland, to the start and completion of his education in Vienna. From high school to med school Ezriel was born in 1891 and attended gymnasium (high school) in Tarnow. Upon the completion
Is Personality Static? My Mother, the Uncles & the Eyeballs
One of the things that most interests me about my family history is the "before" and "after" of my mother's life. I wonder what effect being forced to leave Vienna -- especially without her parents -- had on Rita Rosenbaum Jarolim's personality. I've always imagined the impact must have been profound. But I may be wrong. Two pictures and a tale of teasing by the Kornmehl
Freud Friday: The Shrink Font
I haven't devoted a Friday to Freud in a long time, but two different friends called an intriguing bit of Freudiana to my attention. The Project After looking through Freud's letters, German typographer Harald Geisler was inspired to create an electronic version of the father of psychoanalysis's handwriting, a font that he envisions you might use to "write a letter to your
My (More Than Usually) Jewish New York Visit
Thanks to the general awareness of my Jewish heritage that blogging here has brought me -- along with specific research for Freud's Butcher the book -- a good part of my visit to New York City this past week has been spent getting in touch with my roots: Seeing old friends, eating at old favorite restaurants, and... Doing Jewish Stuff I went to the Roman Vishniac
Viktor Kornmehl Wishes Professor Freud A Happy Birthday
May 6, 1931, was Sigmund Freud's 75th birthday. He was hoping to avoid a fuss, especially since he had been in the hospital since late April, undergoing a painful operation on his jaw, and had only returned home to 19 Berggasse the previous day. Freud Feted No such luck. According to biographer Peter Gay (Freud: A Life for Our Time, pp. 574-5): [Freud] could veto festivities
Dr. Kornmehl, Prof. Freud & Jewish Activism
It's been interesting to speculate about Viktor Kornmehl and his brushes with the other, more famous doctors of Vienna. As Anna Redsand wrote in her wonderful guest post, there's a very strong likelihood that he was acquainted with Viktor Frankl in high school: It was a small institution and they were there at the same time. It's possible too that they bonded because both were