The Political Engagement of Psychoanalysis: Nic Waal and the Edith Jacobson Case
The Political Engagement of Psychoanalysis: Nic Waal and the Edith Jacobson Case
Lunchtime Talk with Dr Lene Auestad, author and philosopher, University of Oslo: stories, psychoanalysis and politics
Date
Free event - with optional donation requested
Free event - with optional donation requested
On October 24th 1935 the Berlin analyst Edith Jacobson was arrested by the Gestapo. She was part of the socialist group New Beginning.
The Norwegian analyst Nic Waal, who had trained in Berlin, was chosen by Ernest Jones to report on the incident. I shall analyse her letters to Jones and parts of the relevant correspondence between Anna Freud and the latter.
The problem raised by this case about the political content or implications of psychoanalysis, the meaning of “neutrality” and of confidentiality go beyond the context of the Nazi regime.
The lasting relevance of the Edith Jacobson case lies in the questions it poses about the political engagement of psychoanalysis and the relation between the state and the analytic space.
About Dr Lene Auestad
Dr Lene Auestad, PhD, is a Dr. of Philosophy from the University of Oslo. Her dissertation, Respect, Plurality, and Prejudice, was published by Karnac (2015). She has published 7 books, of which 2 are single-authored, on themes including prejudice, discrimination, nationalism, trauma and mourning.
Lene is an Associate member of the Norwegian Psychoanalytical Society. Her webpage is www.lawritings.net
Lene Auestad has founded (2010) and runs the international and interdisciplinary conference series Psychoanalysis and Politics. The conferences have thus far been held in 11 European countries. Since 2020 the series also includes digital seminars. Webpage: www.psa-pol.org
Fun fact
Lene has an extensive collection of tropical trees in her Oslo flat, some of which have been grown from seeds gathered during her travels to distant locations. Their green foliage softens the harsh winters.