Sabina Spielrein
Encyclopedia
Sabina Naftulovna Spielrein (Russian
: Сабина Нафтуловна Шпильрейн, also transliterated "Shpilrein" or "Shpilreyn"), born 7 November 1885, died 12 August 1942] (both in Rostov-on-Don
), was one of the first female psychoanalysts
. She studied under Carl Gustav Jung, with whom she was rumored to have had a romantic relationship. One of her more famous analysands was the Swiss developmental psychologist, Jean Piaget
, who had also met Jung during a postdoc in Zurich in 1918–1919.
, Russia, her mother was a dentist, her father a physician. One of her brothers, Isaac Spielrein, was a Soviet psychologist, a pioneer of labor psychology. Sabina was married to Pavel Scheftel, a physician of Russian Jewish descent. They had two daughters: Renate, born 1912, and Eva, born 1924.
Before enrolling as a student of medicine in Zürich
, Spielrein was admitted in August 1904 to the Burghölzli
mental hospital near Zürich, where Carl Gustav Jung worked at that time, and remained there until June 1905. While there, she established a deep emotional relationship with Jung who later was her medical dissertation advisor. The historian and psychoanalyst Peter Loewenberg argues that this was a sexual relationship, in breach of professional ethics, and that it "jeopardized his position at the Burghölzli and led to his rupture with Bleuler
and his departure from the University of Zurich". Spielrein graduated in 1911, defending a dissertation about a case of schizophrenia
, and was later elected a member of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society
. She continued working with Jung until 1912, and later saw Sigmund Freud
in Vienna.
In 1923, Spielrein returned to Soviet Russia and with Vera Schmidt
established a kindergarten in Moscow, nicknamed "The White Nursery" by the children (all furniture and walls having been white). The institution was committed to bringing up children as free persons as early as possible. "The White Nursery" was closed down three years later by the authorities under false accusations of sexual perversion with the children. (In fact, Stalin actually enrolled his own son, Vasily
, into the "White Nursery" under a false name
.)
Sabina's husband Pavel perished during Stalin's Great Terror
, as did her brother Isaac. Sabina and her two children were killed by an SS Death Squad, Einsatzgruppe
D in 1942 in Zmievskaya Balka.
While Spielrein is not often given more than a footnote in the history of the development of psychoanalysis, her conception of the sexual drive as containing both an instinct of destruction and an instinct of transformation, presented to the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society in 1912, in fact anticipates both Freud's "death drive" and Jung's views on "transformation". She may thus have inspired both men.
.
A documentary, Ich hieß Sabina Spielrein (My Name was Sabina Spielrein), was made in 2002 by the Hungarian-born Swedish director Elisabeth Marton and was released in the United States in late 2005 (see http://www.sabinaspielrein.com/). The documentary was released in the U.S. by Facets Video, a subsidiary of Facets Multi-Media
. There is a biopic The Soul Keeper (Prendimi l’Anima), directed by Roberto Faenza
, with Emilia Fox
as Spielrein and Iain Glen
as Carl Gustav Jung. Spielrein figures prominently in two contemporary British plays: Sabina (1998) by Snoo Wilson
and The Talking Cure (2003) by Christopher Hampton
, in which Ralph Fiennes
played Jung on the London stage. Both plays were preceded by the Off Broadway production of Sabina (1996) by Willy Holtzman
. Hampton adapted his own play for a feature film called A Dangerous Method
, produced by Jeremy Thomas
, directed by David Cronenberg
, and starring Keira Knightley
as Spielrein.
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
: Сабина Нафтуловна Шпильрейн, also transliterated "Shpilrein" or "Shpilreyn"), born 7 November 1885, died 12 August 1942] (both in Rostov-on-Don
Rostov-on-Don
-History:The mouth of the Don River has been of great commercial and cultural importance since the ancient times. It was the site of the Greek colony Tanais, of the Genoese fort Tana, and of the Turkish fortress Azak...
), was one of the first female psychoanalysts
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis is a psychological theory developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has expanded, been criticized and developed in different directions, mostly by some of Freud's former students, such as Alfred Adler and Carl Gustav...
. She studied under Carl Gustav Jung, with whom she was rumored to have had a romantic relationship. One of her more famous analysands was the Swiss developmental psychologist, Jean Piaget
Jean Piaget
Jean Piaget was a French-speaking Swiss developmental psychologist and philosopher known for his epistemological studies with children. His theory of cognitive development and epistemological view are together called "genetic epistemology"....
, who had also met Jung during a postdoc in Zurich in 1918–1919.
Biography
Born 1885 into a family of a Jewish doctors in RostovRostov-on-Don
-History:The mouth of the Don River has been of great commercial and cultural importance since the ancient times. It was the site of the Greek colony Tanais, of the Genoese fort Tana, and of the Turkish fortress Azak...
, Russia, her mother was a dentist, her father a physician. One of her brothers, Isaac Spielrein, was a Soviet psychologist, a pioneer of labor psychology. Sabina was married to Pavel Scheftel, a physician of Russian Jewish descent. They had two daughters: Renate, born 1912, and Eva, born 1924.
Before enrolling as a student of medicine in Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Spielrein was admitted in August 1904 to the Burghölzli
Burghölzli
Burghölzli is the common name given for the psychiatric hospital of the University of Zürich, Switzerland. The hospital is located on "Burghölzli", a wooded hill in the district of Riesbach of southeastern Zürich....
mental hospital near Zürich, where Carl Gustav Jung worked at that time, and remained there until June 1905. While there, she established a deep emotional relationship with Jung who later was her medical dissertation advisor. The historian and psychoanalyst Peter Loewenberg argues that this was a sexual relationship, in breach of professional ethics, and that it "jeopardized his position at the Burghölzli and led to his rupture with Bleuler
Eugen Bleuler
Paul Eugen Bleuler was a Swiss psychiatrist most notable for his contributions to the understanding of mental illness and for coining the term "schizophrenia."-Biography:...
and his departure from the University of Zurich". Spielrein graduated in 1911, defending a dissertation about a case of schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
, and was later elected a member of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society
Vienna Psychoanalytic Society
The Vienna Psychoanalytic Society was formerly known as the Wednesday Psychological Society. They commenced their meetings in Freud’s apartment in 1902...
. She continued working with Jung until 1912, and later saw Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
in Vienna.
In 1923, Spielrein returned to Soviet Russia and with Vera Schmidt
Vera Schmidt (psychoanalyst)
Vera Fedorovna Schmidt was a Russian educationist and one of the leading figures in the psychoanalytic movement in Russia during the . After the Russian Revolution she directed a highly innovative nursery school run on psychoanalytic principles.- Early life :Her parents were both physicians...
established a kindergarten in Moscow, nicknamed "The White Nursery" by the children (all furniture and walls having been white). The institution was committed to bringing up children as free persons as early as possible. "The White Nursery" was closed down three years later by the authorities under false accusations of sexual perversion with the children. (In fact, Stalin actually enrolled his own son, Vasily
Vasily Dzhugashvili
Vasily Iosifovich Dzhugashvili , known also as Vasily Stalin , , was the son of Joseph Stalin and his second wife, Nadezhda Alliluyeva....
, into the "White Nursery" under a false name
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
.)
Sabina's husband Pavel perished during Stalin's Great Terror
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
, as did her brother Isaac. Sabina and her two children were killed by an SS Death Squad, Einsatzgruppe
Einsatzgruppen
Einsatzgruppen were SS paramilitary death squads that were responsible for mass killings, typically by shooting, of Jews in particular, but also significant numbers of other population groups and political categories...
D in 1942 in Zmievskaya Balka.
While Spielrein is not often given more than a footnote in the history of the development of psychoanalysis, her conception of the sexual drive as containing both an instinct of destruction and an instinct of transformation, presented to the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society in 1912, in fact anticipates both Freud's "death drive" and Jung's views on "transformation". She may thus have inspired both men.
Cultural impact
Spielrein's letters, journals and copies of hospital records have been published, as has her correspondence with Jung and FreudSigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
.
A documentary, Ich hieß Sabina Spielrein (My Name was Sabina Spielrein), was made in 2002 by the Hungarian-born Swedish director Elisabeth Marton and was released in the United States in late 2005 (see http://www.sabinaspielrein.com/). The documentary was released in the U.S. by Facets Video, a subsidiary of Facets Multi-Media
Facets Multi-Media
Facets Multi-Media is a film organization in Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1975. Besides its facilities in Chicago, Facets Multi-Media also runs Facets Video, one of the largest distributors of foreign film in the United States.-Facets Video:...
. There is a biopic The Soul Keeper (Prendimi l’Anima), directed by Roberto Faenza
Roberto Faenza
Roberto Faenza is an Italian film director.Born in Turin in 1943, Roberto Faenza received a degree in Political Science and a diploma at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia....
, with Emilia Fox
Emilia Fox
Emilia Rose Elizabeth Fox is an award-winning English actress, known for her role as Dr. Nikki Alexander on BBC crime drama Silent Witness, having joined the cast in 2004 following the departure of Amanda Burton. She also appears as Morgause in the BBC's Merlin beginning in the programme's second...
as Spielrein and Iain Glen
Iain Glen
Iain Glen is a Scottish film and stage actor.Iain Glen was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and trained at RADA where he won the Bancroft Gold Medal. He was married to Susannah Harker from 1993 to 2004; they have one son, Finlay...
as Carl Gustav Jung. Spielrein figures prominently in two contemporary British plays: Sabina (1998) by Snoo Wilson
Snoo Wilson
Snoo Wilson, , born Andrew James Wilson, is an English playwright, screenwriter and director. His early plays such as Blow-Job were overtly political, often combining harsh social comment with comedy...
and The Talking Cure (2003) by Christopher Hampton
Christopher Hampton
Christopher James Hampton CBE, FRSL is a British playwright, screen writer and film director. He is best known for his play based on the novel Les Liaisons dangereuses and the film version Dangerous Liaisons and also more recently for writing the nominated screenplay for the film adaptation of...
, in which Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor and film director. He has appeared in such films as The English Patient, In Bruges, The Constant Gardener, Strange Days, The Duchess and Schindler's List....
played Jung on the London stage. Both plays were preceded by the Off Broadway production of Sabina (1996) by Willy Holtzman
Willy Holtzman
Willy Holtzman is an American playwright and screenwriter, often focusing on theatrical representations of actual historical events. Holtzman has received, two Pulitzer Prize nominations, a Humanitas Prize, a Writers Guild Award, a Peabody Award, as well as an HBO Award at the National...
. Hampton adapted his own play for a feature film called A Dangerous Method
A Dangerous Method
A Dangerous Method is a 2011 historical film directed by David Cronenberg and starring Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley and Vincent Cassel...
, produced by Jeremy Thomas
Jeremy Thomas
Jeremy Jack Thomas, CBE is a British film producer, founder of the Recorded Picture Company. He was the producer of Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor, which won the 1988 Academy Award for Best Picture. In 2006 he received a European Film Award for Outstanding European Achievement in World...
, directed by David Cronenberg
David Cronenberg
David Paul Cronenberg, OC, FRSC is a Canadian filmmaker, screenwriter and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror or venereal horror genre. This style of filmmaking explores people's fears of bodily transformation and infection. In his films, the...
, and starring Keira Knightley
Keira Knightley
Keira Christina Knightley born 26 March 1985) is an English actress and model. She began acting as a child and came to international notice in 2002 after co-starring in the film Bend It Like Beckham...
as Spielrein.
See also
- PsychoanalysisPsychoanalysisPsychoanalysis is a psychological theory developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has expanded, been criticized and developed in different directions, mostly by some of Freud's former students, such as Alfred Adler and Carl Gustav...
- Sigmund FreudSigmund FreudSigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
- Carl JungCarl JungCarl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and the founder of Analytical Psychology. Jung is considered the first modern psychiatrist to view the human psyche as "by nature religious" and make it the focus of exploration. Jung is one of the best known researchers in the field of dream analysis and...
- Victor OvcharenkoVictor OvcharenkoVictor Ovcharenko was a Russian philosopher, sociologist, historian and psychologist. He also was a PhD., professor, academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences , academician of the Academy for Humanities Research and academician of the Academy of Pedagogical and Social Sciences...
- the Russian scientist who first introduced Sabina Spielrein's biography to the public in post-Soviet time
Further reading
- Sabina Spielrein: Sämtliche Schriften, utgiven av Erika Kittler 1987, ISBN 3-926023-03-1
- Bruno Bettelheim (1983) "A Secret Asymmetry" in Freud's Vienna and Other Essays. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
- Aldo Carotenuto: Tagebuch einer heimlichen Symmetrie : Sabina Spielrein zwischen Jung und Freud; preface by Johannes Cremerius ; translated to German 1986, Italian original Diario di una segreta simmetria, Sabina Spielrein tra Jung e Freud
- Covington, C. (2001) Comments on the Burghölzli hospital records of Sabina Spielrein J. Analytical Psychology, 46, 105-116
- Goldberg, A. (1984) A Secret Symmetry. Sabina Spielrein Between Jung and Freud. Psychoanal Q., 53:135-137
- Hoffner, A. (2001) Jung's Analysis of Sabina Spielrein and his use of Freud's free association method J. Analytical Psychology, 46, 117-128
- Kerr, J. (1993) A Most Dangerous Method: The Story of Jung, Freud and Sabina Spielrein.. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
- Loewenberg, Peter (1995) The Creation of a Scientific Community: The Burghölzli, 1902-1914.Fantasy and Reality in History, pp. 46-89. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.
- Raphael-Leff, J. (1983) A Secret Symmetry. Sabina Spielrein Between Jung and Freud. Int. R. Psycho-Anal., 10:241-242
- Richebächer, Sabine (2003) "In league with the devil, and yet you fear fire?" Sabina Spielrein and C. G. Jung: A suppressed scandal from the early days of psychoanalysis. Covington, C. and Wharton, B. Sabina Spielrein. Forgotten pioneer of psychoanalysis. Brunner-Routledge, Hove and New York, 227-249
- Richebächer, Sabine (2005) Sabina Spielrein. "Eine fast grausame Liebe zur Wissenschaft". Biographie 400 p. Dörlemann Zürich
- Silverman, M. (1985) A Secret Symmetry. Sabina Spielrein Between Jung And Freud. J. Amer. Psychoanal. Assn., 33(S):205-209
- Thompson, N. (1996) Freud, Jung And Sabina Spielrein: A Most Dangerous Method.. Psychoanal Q., 65:644-649
- Van Waning, A. (1992) The Works of Pioneering Psychoanalyst Sabina Spielrein—'Destruction as a Cause of Coming Into Being. Int. R. Psycho-Anal., 19:399-414
External links
- Sabina Spielrein
- Ovcharenko, V. (1992) The Destiny of Sabina Spielrein (in Russian, archived link)