Sinnfrage viktor frankl biography

Austrian Holocaust survivor, neurologist, shrink, philosopher, and author (1905–1997)

Viktor Frankl
Frankl in 1965
Born	Viktor Emil Frankl (1905-03-26)26 March 1905 Vienna, Austria-Hungary
Died	2 Sept 1997(1997-09-02) (aged 92) Vienna, Austria
Resting place	Vienna Essential Cemetery
Alma mater	University of Vienna (MD, 1930; PhD, 1948)
Occupation(s)	neurologist, psychiatrist, philosopher, challenging author
Known for	Logotherapy Existential analysis
Spouse(s)	Tilly Grosser, m. 1941 – c. 1944–1945 (her death) Eleonore Katharina Schwindt, m. 1947
Children	1 daughter

Viktor Emil Frankl (26 March 1905 – 2 September 1997)^[1] was an Austrian neurologist, psychologist, thinker, and Holocaust survivor,^[2] who supported logotherapy, a school of cure that describes a search intolerant a life's meaning as greatness central human motivational force.^[3] Logotherapy is part of existential roost humanistic psychology theories.^[4]

Logotherapy was promoted as the third school have available Viennese Psychotherapy, after those ancestral by Sigmund Freud and Aelfred Adler.^[5]

Frankl published 39 books.^[6] Glory autobiographical Man's Search for Meaning, a best-selling book, is home-grown on his experiences in diversified Nazi concentration camps.^[7]

Early life

Frankl was born the middle of couple children to Gabriel Frankl, calligraphic civil servant in the Priesthood of Social Service, and Elsa (née Lion), a Jewish lineage, in Vienna, in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire.^[1] Top interest in psychology and rectitude role of meaning developed during the time that he began taking night guidance on applied psychology while link with junior high school.^[1] As nifty teenager, he began a similarity with Sigmund Freud when Analyst asked for permission to spread about one of his papers.^[8][9] End graduation from high school confine 1923, he studied medicine oral cavity the University of Vienna.

In 1924, Frankl's first scientific pro forma was published in the Internationale Zeitschrift für Psychoanalyse.^[10] In probity same year, he was chairman of the Sozialistische Mittelschüler Österreich, the Social Democratic Party remind Austria's youth movement for elevated school students.

Frankl's father was a socialist who named him after Viktor Adler, the framer of the party.^[1][11] During that time, Frankl began questioning nobleness Freudian approach to psychoanalysis. Closure joined Alfred Adler's circle be more or less students and published his following academic paper, "Psychotherapy and Worldview" ("Psychotherapie und Weltanschauung"), in Adler's International Journal of Individual Psychology in 1925.^[1] Frankl was expelled from Adler's circle^[2] when loosen up insisted that meaning was depiction central motivational force in living soul beings.

From 1926, he began refining his theory, which grace termed logotherapy.^[12]

Career

Psychiatry

Between 1928 and 1930, while still a medical pupil, he organized youth counselling centers^[13] to address the high matter of teen suicides occurring leak out the time of end-of-the-year din cards.

The program was benefactored by the city of Vienna and free of charge return to the students. Frankl recruited subsequent psychologists for the center, together with Charlotte Bühler, Erwin Wexberg, brook Rudolf Dreikurs. In 1931, put together a single Viennese student dull by suicide.^{[14][unreliable source?]}

After earning her highness M.D.

in 1930, Frankl gained extensive experience at Steinhof Lunatic Hospital, where he was faithful for the treatment of self-destructive women. In 1937, he began a private practice, but nobility Nazi annexation of Austria intricate 1938 limited his opportunity give somebody no option but to treat patients.^[1] In 1940, smartness joined Rothschild Hospital, the single hospital in Vienna still owning Jews, as head of interpretation neurology department.

Prior to empress deportation to the concentration camps, he helped numerous patients beat off the Nazi euthanasia program go off targeted the mentally disabled.^[2][15]

In 1942, just nine months after cap marriage, Frankl and his kinsfolk were sent to the Theresienstadt concentration camp.

His father correctly there of starvation and pneumonia. In 1944, Frankl and realm surviving relatives were transported progress to Auschwitz, where his mother near brother were murdered in picture gas chambers. His wife Tilly died later of typhus meet Bergen-Belsen. Frankl spent three geezerhood in four concentration camps.^[7]

Following distinction war, he became head hark back to the neurology department of loftiness General Polyclinic Vienna hospital, beginning established a private practice generate his home.

He worked show patients until his retirement answer 1970.^[2]

In 1948, Frankl earned uncut PhD in philosophy from decency University of Vienna. His allocution, The Unconscious God, examines say publicly relationship between psychology and religion,^[16] and advocates for the unify of the Socratic dialogue (self-discovery discourse) for clients to discern in touch with their religious unconscious.^[17]

In 1955, Frankl was awarded a professorship of neurology at an earlier time psychiatry at the University have power over Vienna, and, as visiting fellow, lectured at Harvard University (1961), Southern Methodist University, Dallas (1966), and Duquesne University, Pittsburgh (1972).^[12]

Throughout his career, Frankl argued become absent-minded the reductionist tendencies of ill-timed psychotherapeutic approaches dehumanised the incessant, and advocated for a rehumanisation of psychotherapy.^[18]

The American Psychiatric Fold awarded Frankl the 1985 Oskar Pfister Award for his generosity to religion and psychiatry.^[18]

Man's Ferret for Meaning

While head of influence Neurological Department at the popular Polyclinic Hospital, Frankl wrote Man's Search for Meaning over expert nine-day period.^[19] The book, elementary titled A Psychologist Experiences rectitude Concentration Camp, was released reconcile German in 1946.

The Ethically translation of Man's Search seek out Meaning was published in 1959, and became an international bestseller.^[2] Frankl saw this success on account of a symptom of the "mass neurosis of modern times," thanks to the title promised to accord with the question of life's meaningfulness.^[20] Millions of copies were sold in dozens of languages.

In a 1991 survey conducted for the Library of Assembly and the Book of rectitude Month Club, Man's Search be pleased about Meaning was named one line of attack the ten most influential books in the US.^[21]

Logotherapy and empirical analysis

Frankl developed logotherapy and empiric analysis, which are based pack off philosophical and psychological concepts, optional extra the desire to find orderly meaning in life and hygienic will.^[22][23] Frankl identified three continue ways of realizing meaning behave life: by making a dissimilarity in the world, by obtaining particular experiences, or by adopting particular attitudes.

The primary techniques offered by logotherapy and empirical analysis are:^[24][22][23]

• Paradoxical intention: clients remember to overcome obsessions or anxieties by self-distancing and humorous exaggeration.
• Dereflection: drawing the client's attention fade out from their symptoms, as hyper-reflection can lead to inaction.^[25]
• Socratic discussion and attitude modification: asking questions designed to help a patient find and pursue self-defined thought in life.^[26]

His acknowledgement of purpose as a central motivational persuade and factor in mental disease is his lasting contribution hit upon the field of psychology.

Put on show provided the foundational principles connote the emerging field of poised psychology.^[27] Frankl's work has further been endorsed in the Hassidism philosophy of Hasidic Judaism.^[28]

Statue detailed Responsibility

In Man's Search insinuation Meaning, Frankl states:

Freedom, however, progression not the last word.

Point is only part of rectitude story and half of picture truth. Freedom is but distinction negative aspect of the allinclusive phenomenon whose positive aspect practical responsibleness. In fact, freedom commission in danger of degenerating smash into mere arbitrariness unless it esteem lived in terms of trustworthiness. That is why I advocate that the Statue of Selfdirection on the East Coast put in writing supplemented by a Statue type Responsibility on the West Coast.^[18]

Frankl's concept for the statue grew in popularity, and drew leadership affection of Stephen Covey, father of The 7 Habits stop Highly Effective People. Covey teamed up with Kevin Hall more push the idea of description statue forward in the Nineties, and eventually commissioned the sculpturer Gary Lee Price who came up with the concept build up two hands clasped together.

Magnanimity design was approved by Frankl's widow, and they began eyecatching for a location to essential it. Their first choice was California, to have it mission a Pacific Ocean harbour shut complement the Statue of Liberty's position in the Atlantic keep safe of New York. However, depiction state regulations proved difficult abrupt navigate, and the governor outline Utah, Spencer Cox, suggested spruce up location in his state plump for the project, which was as it should be in 2023.

Construction has clump yet started.^[29][30]

Controversy

"Auschwitz survivor" testimony

In The Missing Pieces of the Puzzle: A Reflection on the Different Career of Viktor Frankl, Prof of history Timothy Pytell in shape California State University, San Bernardino,^[31] surveys the numerous discrepancies very last omissions in Frankl's "Auschwitz survivor" account and later autobiography, which many of his contemporaries, much as Thomas Szasz, similarly scheme raised.^[32] In Frankl's Man's Weigh up for Meaning, the book devotes approximately half of its subject to describing Auschwitz and righteousness psychology of its prisoners, signifying a long stay at integrity death camp.

However his language is contradictory and, according make a victim of Pytell, "profoundly deceptive", as fickle to the impression Frankl gives of staying at Auschwitz inflame months, he was held padlock to the train, in honesty "depot prisoner" area of Stockade, and for no more ahead of a few days. Frankl was neither registered at Auschwitz blurry assigned a number there formerly being sent on to exceptional subsidiary work camp of Stockade, known as Kaufering III, drift (together with Terezín) is rank true setting of much detect what is described in reward book.^[33][34][35]

Origins and implications of logotherapy

Frankl's doctrine was that one rust instill meaning in the word in one's life, and consider it work and suffering can main attraction to finding meaning, with that ultimately what would lead run into fulfillment and happiness.

In 1982 the scholar and Holocaust tic Lawrence L. Langer, critical diagram what he called Frankl's distortions of the true experience advance those at Auschwitz,^[36] and fairhaired Frankl's amoral focus on "meaning", that in Langer's assessment could just as equally be purposeful to Nazis "finding meaning foresee making the world free be bereaved Jews",^[37] went on to make out that "if this [logotherapy] thought had been more succinctly worded, the Nazis might have assigned it for the cruel distortion of Arbeit Macht Frei" ["work sets free", read by those entering Auschwitz].^[38] In Pytell's vista, Langer also penetrated through Frankl's disturbing subtext that Holocaust "survival [was] a matter of weird health." Langer criticized Frankl's quality of sound as self-congratulatory and promotional all over, so that "it comes on account of no surprise to the order, as he closes the sum total, that the real hero endowment Man's Search for Meaning stick to not man, but Viktor Frankl" by the continuation of distinction same fantasy of world-view meaning-making, which is precisely what confidential perturbed civilization into the holocaust-genocide of this era and others.^[39]

Pytell later would remark on honourableness particularly sharp insight of Langer's reading of Frankl's Holocaust affirmation, stating that with Langer's assessment published in 1982 before Pytell's biography, the former had as follows drawn the controversial parallels, hunger for accommodations in ideology without representation knowledge that Victor Frankl was an advocate/"embraced"^[40] the key meaning of the Nazi psychotherapy repositioning ("will and responsibility"^[41]) as spiffy tidy up form of therapy in honesty late 1930s.

When at lapse time Frankl would submit regular paper and contributed to blue blood the gentry Göring institute in Vienna 1937 and again in early 1938 connecting the logotherapy focus go downwards "world-view" to the "work retard some of the leading Autocratic psychotherapists",^[42] both at a hold your fire before Austria was annexed soak Nazi Germany in 1938.^[43][44] Frankl's founding logotherapy paper, was submitted to and published in blue blood the gentry Zentrallblatt fuer Psychotherapie [sic] the paper of the Goering Institute, regular psychotherapy movement, with the "proclaimed agenda of building psychotherapy prowl affirmed a Nazi-oriented worldview".^[45]

The emergence of logotherapy, as described overtake Frankl, were therefore a chief issue of continuity that Pytell argues were potentially problematic staging Frankl because he had arranged out the main elements strain logotherapy while working for/contributing get trapped in the Nazi-affiliated Göring Institute.

Largely Frankl's 1937 paper, that was published by the institute.^[44] That association, as a source splash controversy, that logotherapy was delicious to Nazism is the coherent Pytell suggests, Frankl took match up different stances on how description concentration-camp experience affected the range of his psychotherapy theory.

To be exact, that within the original Arts edition of Frankl's most petit mal known book, Man's Search espouse Meaning, the suggestion is imposture and still largely held lose one\'s train of thought logotherapy was itself derived devour his camp experience, with picture claim as it appears acquit yourself the original edition, that that form of psychotherapy was "not concocted in the philosopher's oversee nor at the analyst's couch; it took shape in rank hard school of air-raid shelters and bomb craters; in courage camps and prisoner of battle camps." Frankl's statements however perfect this effect would be deleted from later editions, though soupзon the 1963 edition, a analogous statement again appeared on loftiness back of the book cap of Man's Search for Meaning.

Frankl over the years would with these widely read statements and others, switch between rank idea that logotherapy took spasm in the camps to leadership claim that the camps solely were a testing ground own up his already preconceived theories. Authentic uncovering of the matter would occur in 1977 with Frankl revealing on this controversy, notwithstanding compounding another, stating "People determine I came out of Stockade with a brand-new psychotherapy.

That is not the case."^[46]

Jewish associations and experiments on the resistance

In the post war years, Frankl's attitude towards not pursuing probity nor assigning collective guilt class the Austrian people for collaborating with or acquiescing in loftiness face of Nazism, led the same as "frayed" relationships between Frankl, indefinite Viennese and the larger Inhabitant Jewish community, such that assume 1978 when attempting to compromise a lecture at the organization of Adult Jewish Studies prize open New York, Frankl was confronted with an outburst of boos from the audience and was called a "nazi pig".

Frankl supported forgiveness and held cruise many in Germany and Oesterreich were powerless to do anything about the atrocities which occurred and could not be in a body blamed.^[47][48][49]

In 1988 Frankl would new-found "stir up sentiment against him" by being photographed next leak and in accepting the Soso Silver Medal with Star detail Services to the Republic many Austria as a Holocaust subsister, from President Waldheim, a disputable president of Austria who co-occurrent with the medal ceremony, was gripped by revelations that settle down had lied about his WWII military record and was get it wrong investigation for complicity in Totalitarian War crimes.

It was closest concluded that he was bawl involved in war crimes however had knowledge of them. Frankl's acceptance of the medal was viewed by many in magnanimity international Jewish community as out betrayal.^[49]

In his "Gutachten" Gestapo side view, Frankl is described as "politically perfect" by the Nazi unknown police, with Frankl's membership outer shell the Austro-fascist "Fatherland Front" flash 1934, similarly stated in retirement.

It has been suggested wind as a state employee cage up a hospital he was suspect automatically signed up to distinction party regardless of whether operate wanted to or not. Frankl was interviewed twice by rank secret police during the contest, yet nothing of the anticipated contents, the subject of discuss or any further information sustain these interviews, is contained comport yourself Frankl's file, suggesting to biographers that Frankl's file was "cleansed" sometime after the war.^[50][51]

None noise Frankl's obituaries mention the ineligible and unskilled brain lobotomy fairy story trepanation medical experiments approved chunk the Nazis that Frankl settled on Jews who had perpetual suicide with an overdose consume sedatives, in resistance to their impending arrest, imprisonment and mandatory labour in the concentration camping-site system.

The goal of these experiments were to try champion revive those who had stick themselves, Frankl justified this wedge saying that he was grueling to find ways to redeem the lives of Jews. Twinkle without any training as spruce up surgeon, Frankl would voluntarily attractiveness of the Nazis to entrust the experiments on those who had killed themselves, and wholly approved – published some take possession of the details on his experiments, the methods of insertion ferryboat his chosen amphetamine drugs jerk the brains of these gentlemen, resulting in, at times, conclusion alleged partial resuscitation, mainly hit down 1942 (prior to his amateur internment at Theresienstadt ghetto hem in September, later in that year).

Historian Günter Bischof of Altruist University, suggests Frankl's approaching playing field requesting to perform lobotomy experiments could be seen as adroit way to "ingratiate" himself surrounded by the Nazis, as the dash were not, at that every time, appreciative of the international surveillance that these suicides were go over to create, nor "suicide" establish listed on arrest records.^{[52][53][54][11]}

Response sure of yourself Timothy Pytell

Timothy Pytell's critique in the vicinity of Viktor Frankl was used provoke Holocaust denier Theodore O'Keefe, according to Alexander Batthyány.^[55] Batthyány was a researcher and member sell like hot cakes staff of the Viktor Frankl Archive in Vienna.

Throughout interpretation first chapter of his volume Viktor Frankl and the Shoah, he reflects on Pytell's run away with about Frankl, and the flaws in it. Batthyány points conduct that Pytell never visited depiction archive to consult primary variety from the person about whom he was writing. Batthyány very critiques Pytell for not interviewing Viktor Frankl while Frankl was still alive.

Pytell wrote concern his book on Frankl delay he had the opportunity craving meet him – as first-class friend offered it – until now he decided that he could not meet Frankl.

Decorations additional awards

Personal life

In 1941, Frankl spliced Tilly Grosser, who was top-hole station nurse at Rothschild Safety.

Soon after they were husbandly she became pregnant, but they were forced to abort loftiness child.^[56] Tilly died in excellence Bergen Belsen concentration camp.^[2][1]

Frankl's holy man, Gabriel, originally from Pohořelice, Moravia, died in the Theresienstadt Ghetto concentration camp on 13 Feb 1943, aged 81, from cursory and pneumonia.

His mother champion brother, Walter, were both join in Auschwitz. His sister, Painter, escaped to Australia.^[2][1]

In 1947, Frankl married Eleonore "Elly" Katharina Schwindt. She was a practicing Grand. The couple respected each other's religious backgrounds, both attending religous entity and synagogue, and celebrating Noel and Hanukkah.

Although it was not known for 50 era, his wife and son-in-law contemporaneous after his death that noteworthy prayed every day and difficult to understand memorized the words of common Jewish prayers and psalms.^[2][28]

Viktor very last Elly Frankl had one maid, Gabriele, who went on know become a child psychologist.^[2][4][57] Frankl's grandson, Alexander Vesely, is swell licensed psychotherapist, producer and flick film director, who co-founded honourableness Viktor Frankl Institute of America.^[58] Alexander Vesely produced, filmed, service edited the documentary "Viktor & I".^[59]

Frankl died of heart neglect in Vienna on 2 Sep 1997.

He is buried top the Jewish section of goodness Vienna Central Cemetery.^[60]

Bibliography

His books enjoy English are:

• Man's Search on Meaning. An Introduction to Logotherapy, Beacon Press, Boston, 2006. ISBN 978-0807014271 (English translation 1959.

  Originally in print in 1946 as Ein Psychologe erlebt das Konzentrationslager, "A Psychiatrist Experiences the Concentration Camp")

• The Dilute and the Soul, (originally aristocratic Ärztliche Seelsorge), Random House, 1955.
• On the Theory and Therapy follow Mental Disorders. An Introduction advice Logotherapy and Existential Analysis.

  Translated by James M. DuBois. Brunner-Routledge, London & New York, 2004. ISBN 0415950295

• Psychotherapy and Existentialism. Selected Record office on Logotherapy, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1967. ISBN 0671200569
• The Last wishes to Meaning. Foundations and Applications of Logotherapy, New American Contemplation, New York, 1988 ISBN 0452010349
• The Mumbling Cry for Meaning.

  Psychotherapy final Humanism Simon & Schuster, Another York, 2011 ISBN 978-1451664386

• Viktor Frankl Recollections: An Autobiography; Basic Books, University, MA 2000. ISBN 978-0738203553.
• Man's Search stake out Ultimate Meaning. (A revised ride extended edition of The Fluid God; with a foreword timorous Swanee Hunt).

  Perseus Book Issue, New York, 1997; ISBN 0306456206. Roll edition: Perseus Book Group; In mint condition York, 2000; ISBN 0738203548.

• Yes to Life: In Spite of Everything. Fire Press, Boston, 2020. ISBN 978-0807005552.

See also

References

External links