Max Eitingon

Max Eitingon (1881-1943) was born in Russia but studied medicine in Zurich. One of the first analysts, he was perhaps the most obscured, posterity having preserved close to nothing from his work. Having been perceived as a stable and viable element of the psychoanalytical movement, Eitingon was invited to join the Secret Committee, made up as a result of jumble resulted from a few dissidents' deviations, particularly Jung's, who had become the President of the International Association.

Eitingon's study of medicine had led him to Burgholzli, Switzerland, where, just as Abraham had, he had his first contact with psychoanalysis, by means of Jung. Starting with 1907, he contacts Freud and carries out an analysis with him, finally joining the meetings of the Vienna Psychoanalytical Society .

After his stay in Switzerland, he met Abraham in Berlin, and became his accomplice in developing psychoanalysis in Germany. Due to his wealth, Eitingon often played the role of the sleeping partner and was a remarkable organizer. After Abraham's death, it was he who took over the leadership of the International Association.

Ruined during the crisis of the 30's, threatened by the rising Nazi movement, Eitingon immigrated to Palestine, and contributed to the creation of a psychoanalytical society in Jerusalem.

Although we are now aware of Eitingon being a fervent Zionist, recent rumor say that he had links with the KGB. In fact, he was suspected of being KGB agent as early as 1938, when a friend of his wife was arrested, a Russian herself.

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Copyright René DesGroseillers

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