Georg Groddeck

Georg Groddeck (1866-1934) occupies a special place among those who can be regarded as Freudian dissidents. Groddeck had indeed already worked out his own theoretical vision when he came into contact with Freud who, impressed by this original doctor's ideas, prompted him to regard Groddeck as one of his own group.

In fact, the first contact between Freud and this Baden-Baden doctor went as far back as 1912, when Groddeck had published a highly critical analysis of psychoanalysis. A few years later Groddeck renewed his contacts with Freud to apologise and acknowledge his poor understanding of psychoanalysis at the time. This was the first letter of a long correspondence between the two,

It is from Groddeck that Freud borrowed the concept of Self (id), by considerably modifying however the direction he gave this term. For Groddeck, das Es represents the unknown force in control of people, the source of all physical diseases. Freud turned it into a psychic authority, the source of all impulses.

Though never an analyst, Groddeck attended psychoanalytical congresses and meetings. He often shocked the assistance by his description as a wild analyst.

Ferenczi was extremely impressed by Groddeck's ideas and they often discussed the latter's own ideas on techniques known as active.

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Copyright René DesGroseillers.

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