Psychoanalysis in Nazi Germany during World War II faced significant challenges and transformations due to the political and ideological landscape imposed by the Nazi regime. Here's an overview of the state of psychoanalysis during this period:
### 1. Political and Ideological Context
- **Nazi Ideology**: The Nazi regime was fundamentally opposed to many of the ideas central to psychoanalysis, viewing it as a "Jewish science" due to its origins and significant contributions by Jewish individuals, including Sigmund Freud.
- **Persecution of Psychoanalysts**: Many prominent psychoanalysts were Jewish and faced persecution, forcing them to flee the country or go into hiding. Those who stayed had to conform to the regime's demands and restrictions.
### 2. Emigration and Exile
- **Escape of Key Figures**: Many leading psychoanalysts, including Sigmund Freud himself, fled Germany and Austria to escape Nazi persecution. Freud moved to London in 1938 after the Anschluss (the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany).
- **Impact on Psychoanalysis**: The forced emigration of psychoanalysts led to the spread of psychoanalytic ideas to other parts of the world, particularly the United States and Britain, where many found refuge and continued their work.
### 3. Adaptation and Conformity
- **De-Judaization of Psychoanalysis**: Those who remained in Germany often had to conform to the regime's ideology. This included attempts to "de-Judaize" psychoanalysis by removing or downplaying its connections to Jewish thinkers and reinterpreting its theories to align with Nazi views on race and society.
- **Transformation of Institutes**: The Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute, for example, was restructured under Nazi control and renamed the "Göring Institute" after Hermann Göring’s cousin, Matthias Göring, who played a key role in its reorganization. The institute attempted to align psychoanalysis with the regime's goals, emphasizing its utility in improving the mental health of the Aryan population.
### 4. Suppression and Censorship
- **Suppression of Psychoanalytic Literature**: Psychoanalytic literature and practices that did not conform to Nazi ideology were suppressed. Many works by Jewish psychoanalysts were banned, and their theories were criticized and denounced.
- **Censorship and Control**: The remaining psychoanalytic community faced strict censorship and had to navigate the regime’s control over intellectual and professional activities.
### 5. Psychoanalysis in Practice
- **Restricted Practice**: Psychoanalysis continued to be practiced, but under severe constraints. Therapists had to ensure their practices and theories did not conflict with Nazi ideologies.
- **Focus on Aryan Mental Health**: The regime promoted the use of psychoanalytic techniques, but only insofar as they could be seen as beneficial to the health and efficiency of the Aryan race. This often meant focusing on therapy for soldiers and civilians to maintain their mental health in support of the war effort.
### 6. Legacy and Post-War Recovery
- **Post-War Rehabilitation**: After the war, psychoanalysis in Germany underwent a process of rehabilitation. The field had to recover from the distortions and suppressions imposed by the Nazi regime.
- **Return of Exiled Psychoanalysts**: Some psychoanalysts who had fled returned to Europe to help rebuild the psychoanalytic community. This included reestablishing institutions and reconnecting with international psychoanalytic movements.
- **Influence of Exile**: The forced emigration had lasting impacts, contributing to the spread and evolution of psychoanalytic ideas globally. The exiled psychoanalysts played crucial roles in developing psychoanalysis in their new countries of residence.
### Summary
Psychoanalysis in Nazi Germany was heavily impacted by the political and ideological constraints of the regime. While some psychoanalysts conformed to the regime’s demands, many others fled, leading to a significant diaspora that spread psychoanalytic ideas worldwide. The field faced suppression and transformation, and its post-war recovery involved overcoming the distortions imposed during this dark period.
