I have examined Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) topics before. But the Freud of the Rings Exhibition in 2018-9 in Jerusalem was something new. Curator Morag Wilhelm of the Israel Museum was cataloguing a collection of rings in the Museum’s repository and found one donated by Eva Rosenfeld. Wilhelm found that in 1913 Freud presented each member of his Inner Circle of followers with a unique ring.
Freud got his post-doctorate in 1885 and established psychoanalysis by the early 1890s. But because his theories had not yet been officially recognised by Austria authorities, Freud wanted to maintain a degree of secrecy about his work. Thus his Inner Circle had to respect his wishes; the rings represented a special bond by which the owners pledged their loyalty to Freud’s mission.
Members of Freud’s group (top above),
7th International Psychoanalytic Congress Berlin 1922.
Standing: Otto Rank, Karl Abraham, Max Eitingon, Ernest Jones;
Seated: Sigmund Freud, Sándor Ferenczi, and Hanns Sachs
Israel Museum
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Prof Sigmund Freud had surprised Eva Rosenfeld with the precious gift of his ring decades earlier. When she turned 86, she wished to leave the ring to their original home country. Her ring triggered the 2019 Exhibition.
Another important ring recipient was Max Eitingon. Born in Belarus to a wealthy Jewish family, his family moved to Leipzig and then to Heidelberg Uni. He studied medicine in Leipzig and finally arrived in Vienna after studying psychiatry at Carl Jung’s Zurich clinic. He was the first clinician to do analysis and training with Freud, establishing Berlin’s first psychoanalytic out-patient clinic.
In the 1920s Eitington’s educational institution in Berlin attracted Jewish socialist educators from Palestine, people who sought to link socialist ideology to Freud’s psychoanalytical tools. There were only two psychoanalysts in Palestine then: David Eder, Chaim Weizmann’s right hand man and Dorian Feigenbaum who ran the only psychiatric hospital in Jerusalem. Eitington emigrated to Israel in May 1934 where he established the Psychoanalytic Institute in Jerusalem. This was a turning point in the acceptance of psychoanalysis as an authorised treatment.
Freud spent his career exposing his patients’ countless psychic layers. So was it a coincidence that by the time of his death, a year after leaving Vienna for London, he had amassed 2,000+ art treasures from ancient kingdoms in Egypt, Greece, Rome, India and China? The Jerusalem Exhibition displayed the 6 rings and also highlighted these other items from Freud’s collection. Wilhelm’s careful research in London and Vienna incorporated the ancient objects and displayed them in the Israel Museum. The back-drop to the Exhibit consisted of wall coverings inspired by the famous oriental rugs that adorned Freud’s consulting couches both in Vienna and London.
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After his father Jacob’s death in 1896, Freud began to collect objects from the ancient world. Individuals who started created collections, he said, were attempting to restore a sense of order into their lives! In Freud’s case, the need for order might have come with the bereavement.
In the Exhibition catalogue, Wilhelm noted that when Freud started with antiquities, objects were still easily collected. Thousands of ancient objects arrived in European antique sales and were snapped up cheaply by private collectors. This was part of Europe’s infamous colonial legacy where eg France and Britain plundered excavated sites. It was only when the great European museums were founded that archaeology became scholarly.
Freud was passionate about acquiring ancient engraved objects connected to Roman mythology. These items had their designs engraved onto gemstones that were then set in precious ring-shaped metals. The focal point of the Jerusalem Exhibition were the 6 rings that Wilhelm located.
In the Exhibition catalogue, Wilhelm noted that when Freud started with antiquities, objects were still easily collected. Thousands of ancient objects arrived in European antique sales and were snapped up cheaply by private collectors. This was part of Europe’s infamous colonial legacy where eg France and Britain plundered excavated sites. It was only when the great European museums were founded that archaeology became scholarly.
Freud was passionate about acquiring ancient engraved objects connected to Roman mythology. These items had their designs engraved onto gemstones that were then set in precious ring-shaped metals. The focal point of the Jerusalem Exhibition were the 6 rings that Wilhelm located.
Some of the antique rings that Freud gave to students
Note that Freud carefully selected each ring he gifted; the meaning of each image reflected the nature of his relationship with each recipient. What made these rings so special was 1] their association with the Father of Psychoanalysis and 2] they were powerful objects that established identity in a hierarchical organisation of loyal students.
When Freud first established his Inner Circle in the psycho-analysis movement, he surrounded himself with Jewish analysts. All the signet rings were given to Jewish members of his Inner Circle, except for the much loved Ernest Jones.
Eva Rosenfeld was a New York-born psychoanalyst but spent her youth in Berlin where her father was a theatrical producer. Her father died when she was 15 so she left school and became a social worker. In 1911 she married lawyer-cousin Valentin Rosenfeld and moved to Vienna, so Valentin could attend lectures by Freud.
Eva moved into psychoanalysis via Valentin. After her divorce, Eva underwent psychoanalysis with Freud himself and became a close friend of Freud’s daughter Anna. In 1936 Eva moved to London where she remained close to the Freuds, until she identified with Melanie Klein's independent school; this caused a rift between Eva and the Freuds.
When Freud first established his Inner Circle in the psycho-analysis movement, he surrounded himself with Jewish analysts. All the signet rings were given to Jewish members of his Inner Circle, except for the much loved Ernest Jones.
Eva Rosenfeld was a New York-born psychoanalyst but spent her youth in Berlin where her father was a theatrical producer. Her father died when she was 15 so she left school and became a social worker. In 1911 she married lawyer-cousin Valentin Rosenfeld and moved to Vienna, so Valentin could attend lectures by Freud.
Eva moved into psychoanalysis via Valentin. After her divorce, Eva underwent psychoanalysis with Freud himself and became a close friend of Freud’s daughter Anna. In 1936 Eva moved to London where she remained close to the Freuds, until she identified with Melanie Klein's independent school; this caused a rift between Eva and the Freuds.
Prof Sigmund Freud had surprised Eva Rosenfeld with the precious gift of his ring decades earlier. When she turned 86, she wished to leave the ring to their original home country. Her ring triggered the 2019 Exhibition.
Another important ring recipient was Max Eitingon. Born in Belarus to a wealthy Jewish family, his family moved to Leipzig and then to Heidelberg Uni. He studied medicine in Leipzig and finally arrived in Vienna after studying psychiatry at Carl Jung’s Zurich clinic. He was the first clinician to do analysis and training with Freud, establishing Berlin’s first psychoanalytic out-patient clinic.
In the 1920s Eitington’s educational institution in Berlin attracted Jewish socialist educators from Palestine, people who sought to link socialist ideology to Freud’s psychoanalytical tools. There were only two psychoanalysts in Palestine then: David Eder, Chaim Weizmann’s right hand man and Dorian Feigenbaum who ran the only psychiatric hospital in Jerusalem. Eitington emigrated to Israel in May 1934 where he established the Psychoanalytic Institute in Jerusalem. This was a turning point in the acceptance of psychoanalysis as an authorised treatment.
Freud spent his career exposing his patients’ countless psychic layers. So was it a coincidence that by the time of his death, a year after leaving Vienna for London, he had amassed 2,000+ art treasures from ancient kingdoms in Egypt, Greece, Rome, India and China? The Jerusalem Exhibition displayed the 6 rings and also highlighted these other items from Freud’s collection. Wilhelm’s careful research in London and Vienna incorporated the ancient objects and displayed them in the Israel Museum. The back-drop to the Exhibit consisted of wall coverings inspired by the famous oriental rugs that adorned Freud’s consulting couches both in Vienna and London.
Freud's collection of antiquities,
Freud Museum, London
Viewers noted the statuette of the deity Thoth. Thoth was the ancient Egyptian moon god and patron of medicine, writing & magic in Egyptian mythology. The baboon-shape was positioned on Freud’s desk so Freud could ritually stroke the statuette’s head. In fact read how Freud’s massive art collection influenced his theories (and not vice versa).
Another intriguing display object was a gift from one of the ring recipients, Marie Bonaparte aka Princess George of Greece and Denmark. Her wealth contributed to the popularity of psychoanalysis and she helped Freud to escape from the Nazis by paying for his exit papers. Bonaparte herself became a successful psychoanalyst, specialising in women’s sexual dysfunction.
The bronze statuette of the goddess Venus depicted a naked young woman. The goddess of love and beauty held the ends of her hair in one hand and a mirror in which she gazed at her own reflection. Freud ascribed a narcissistic element to women whose exaggerated investment in their external appearances was to compensate for the social restrictions placed upon them.
Another intriguing display object was a gift from one of the ring recipients, Marie Bonaparte aka Princess George of Greece and Denmark. Her wealth contributed to the popularity of psychoanalysis and she helped Freud to escape from the Nazis by paying for his exit papers. Bonaparte herself became a successful psychoanalyst, specialising in women’s sexual dysfunction.
The bronze statuette of the goddess Venus depicted a naked young woman. The goddess of love and beauty held the ends of her hair in one hand and a mirror in which she gazed at her own reflection. Freud ascribed a narcissistic element to women whose exaggerated investment in their external appearances was to compensate for the social restrictions placed upon them.