Collection Summary
K. R. Eissler Papers
1907-2015
1950-1988
1907-2015
1950-1988
MSS78926
Eissler, K. R. (Kurt Robert), 1908-1999
650 items
2 containers plus 1 oversize
1.8 linear feet
1 digital file (84.47 MB)
English
German
Collection material in English and German
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
Psychoanalyst and author.
Correspondence, writings, research files, and printed matter concerning Eissler’s
writings on Sigmund Freud and his activities as secretary of the Sigmund Freud
Archives. Material in digital format also includes a book draft.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Eissler, K. R. (Kurt Robert), 1908-1999 Freud und Wagner-Jauregg vor der Kommission zur Erhebung militärischer Pflichtverletzungen. 1979.
Eissler, K. R. (Kurt Robert), 1908-1999.
Erikson, Erik H. (Erik Homburger), 1902-1994--Correspondence.
Federn, Ernst--Correspondence.
Fichtl, Paula, 1902-1989--Correspondence.
Freud, Anna, 1895-1982--Correspondence.
Freud, Ernst L., 1892-1970--Correspondence.
Freud, Sigmund, 1856-1939.
Kafka, John S., 1921-2020--Correspondence.
Roazen, Paul, 1936-2005. Brother animal : the story of Freud and Tausk. 1969.
Tausk, Victor, 1879-1919.
Trautenegg, Margarethe von, 1900-1999--Correspondence.
Wagner-Jauregg, Julius, 1857-1940.
Weiss, Edoardo, 1889-1939--Correspondence.
Organizations
Sigmund Freud Archives.
Subjects
Psychoanalysis--Societies, etc.
Psychoanalysis.
War neuroses.
World War, 1914-1918.
Occupations
Authors.
Psychoanalysts.
Acquisition Information
The papers of K. R. Eissler, psychoanalyst and author, were given to the Library of
Congress by Eissler and the Sigmund Freud Archives between 1960 and 1997. Additional
items were given by John S. Kafka in 2015. A digital file was emailed to the Library
by Louis Rose on behalf of Emanual E. Garcia in 2018.
Processing History
The papers of K. R. Eissler were arranged and described in 2002 by Margaret McAleer.
The finding aid was revised in 2010 by Margaret McAleer when a portion of the
restricted material opened for research use. The 2022 Addition was processed and the
finding aid revised in 2022 by Pang H. Xiong. The finding aid was revised in 2023 by
Pang H. Xiong when the remaining restricted material opened for research use.
One digital file was received as part of the K. R. Eissler Papers by email. The
digital file was downloaded to a USB drive and bagged from the USB drive. The USB
drive was assigned a unique digital ID number. Use the digital ID number to request
access copies of the digital file. A description of the standard processes taken on
all born digital records can be found in the Processing History Note: Born Digital
Collection Material at [https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.digital].
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of K. R. Eissler is governed by
the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
The papers of K. R. Eissler are open to research. Many collections are stored
off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.
Access to digital content is available onsite only in the Manuscript Reading Room
and requires advanced notice. Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript
Reading Room prior to visiting.
Technical Requirements
The digital file is in .pdf format (Adobe Acrobat v. 1.6) and can be accessed using a
standard PDF viewer.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information:
Container or digital ID number, K. R. Eissler Papers, Sigmund Freud Collection,
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Date
Event
1908, July 2
Born, Vienna, Austria
1934
Ph.D., psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
1936
Married Ruth Selke (died 1988)
1937
M.D., University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
1938
Member, Vienna Psychoanalytic Society
Emigrated to the United States
1943
Volunteered for active military duty, Army Medical Corps
Post
1945
Established a private psychoanalytic practice, New York, N.Y.
1951
Cofounded and named secretary, Sigmund Freud Archives
1955
Published
The Psychiatrist and the Dying Patient.
New York: International Universities Press
1971
Published
Talent and Genius: The Fictitious Case of Tausk Contra
Freud.
New York: Quadrangle Books
1979
Published
Freud und Wagner-Jauregg vor der Kommission zur Erhebung
militärischer Pflichtverletzungen.
Wien: Löcker
1985
Resigned as secretary, Sigmund Freud Archives
1999, Feb. 17
Died, New York, N.Y.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Kurt Robert Eissler (1908-1999) span the years 1907-2015, with the
bulk of material dating from 1950 to 1988. The papers are in English and German and
contain correspondence, writings, research files, and printed matter documenting
Eissler’s research and writings on Sigmund Freud and his activities as secretary of
the Sigmund Freud Archives, an organization founded by Eissler and other
psychoanalysts in 1951 to collect and preserve Freud’s letters and writings. Several
of Eissler’s writings are represented in the papers. Also included are research
files related to his book,
Freud und Wagner-Jauregg vor der Kommission zur Erhebung
militärischer Pflichtverletzungen
(1979), concerning Freud’s testimony in an investigation of Julius von
Wagner-Jauregg’s treatment of war neuroses during World War I. Prominent within
these files is a large assemblage of photocopied Viennese newspaper articles dated
1913-1922. The collection also includes an article written by Eissler in 1981
critiquing Paul Roazen’s 1969 book on Freud and Victor Tausk entitled
Brother Animal: The Story of Freud and Tausk.
Accompanying a draft of Eissler’s article is correspondence between Eissler
and Freud family members, associates, and scholars written soon after the
publication of Roazen’s book. Among those with whom Eissler corresponded about
Roazen are Erik H. Erikson, Ernst Federn, Anna Freud, and Edoardo Weiss.
Additions include the 2010 Addition and the 2022 Addition. The 2010 Addition contains
formerly closed material and includes correspondence with Paula Fichtl, Ernst L.
Freud, and Margarethe von Trautenegg, among others. The 2022 Addition includes
Eissler's correspondence with John S. Kafka and a digital file containing a scan of
Eissler's unpublished, typed book draft from 1947 on war and the army. A few
chapters are not included in this draft, and some chapters were eventually published
as articles.
Arrangement of the Collection
This collection is arranged alphabetically by type of material and therein
alphabetically by name of person, title of work, or type of material. Additions are
filed at the end followed by oversize material.
Container List
Container
Contents
1
General correspondence
1
"B" miscellaneous, 1953-1984
1953-1984
1
Freud, Ernst [
See Container 2, same heading
](freud2)
1
"F-R" miscellaneous,
1958-1975, undated
[
See also Container 2, "F" miscellaneous
](f2)
1958-1975,
undated
1
Severn, Margaret, 1986-1988,
undated
1986-1988,
undated
1
Trautenegg, Margarethe von [
See Container 2, same heading
](t2)
1
Miscellany, 1920-1991, undated
1920-1991,
undated
1
Writings
1
Articles
1
“An Unknown Autobiographical Letter
by Freud and a Short Comment,” 1907, 1951
1907,
1951
1
“A Warning to Freud Biographers about
Paul Roazen’s Methods and Findings”
1
Correspondence, 1968-1970,
undated
1968-1970, undated
(2 folders)
1
Draft, 1981
1981
1
Miscellany, 1970,
undated
1970,
undated
1
Reviews of Roazen's book,
1969-1970
1969-1970
1
Book,
Freud und Wagner-Jauregg vor der Kommission zur Erhebung
militärischer Pflichtverletzungen
1
Research files, 1913-1929,
1959
[
See also Container OV 1, same
heading ](rov)
1913-1929, 1959
(2 folders)
1
Reviews, 1979-1982
1979-1982
2
Additions
2
2010 Addition
2
General correspondence
2
Freud, Ernst L.,
1954-1969, undated
1954-1969, undated
(5 folders)
2
"F" miscellaneous,
1955-1957
[
See also Container 1, "F-R"
miscellaneous ](f1)
1955-1957
2
Trautenegg, Margarethe
von, with attachments, 1920, 1969-1988, undated
1920,
1969-1988, undated
(10 folders)
2
2022 Addition
2
Correspondence with John S. Kafka,
1983
1983
Writings, book, "War and Army"
(unpublished), 2015
2015
mss78926_166_001
Digital file is a scan of typed book draft from 1947.
OV 1
Oversize
OV 1
Writings
OV 1
Book,
Freud und Wagner-Jauregg vor der Kommission zur Erhebung
militärischer Pflichtverletzungen
OV 1
Research files,
1913-1922 (Container 1)
1913-1922
(4 folders)