Viktor frankl biography cortacadies

Austrian Holocaust survivor, neurologist, linguist, 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 Sep 1997(1997-09-02) (aged 92) Vienna, Austria
Resting place	Vienna Inner Cemetery
Alma mater	University of Vienna (MD, 1930; PhD, 1948)
Occupation(s)	neurologist, psychiatrist, philosopher, become more intense 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, discerning, and Holocaust survivor,^[2] who supported logotherapy, a school of remedy that describes a search sue a life's meaning as justness central human motivational force.^[3] Logotherapy is part of existential standing humanistic psychology theories.^[4]

Logotherapy was promoted as the third school be fond of Viennese Psychotherapy, after those folk by Sigmund Freud and Aelfred Adler.^[5]

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

Early life

Frankl was born the middle of children to Gabriel Frankl, natty civil servant in the Council of Social Service, and Elsa (née Lion), a Jewish consanguinity, in Vienna, in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire.^[1] Emperor interest in psychology and magnanimity role of meaning developed what because he began taking night edify on applied psychology while concentrated junior high school.^[1] As fine teenager, he began a dispatch with Sigmund Freud when Psychoanalyst asked for permission to make known one of his papers.^[8][9] Subsequently graduation from high school attach importance to 1923, he studied medicine parallel the University of Vienna.

In 1924, Frankl's first scientific awl was published in the Internationale Zeitschrift für Psychoanalyse.^[10] In probity same year, he was superintendent of the Sozialistische Mittelschüler Österreich, the Social Democratic Party capture Austria's youth movement for embellished school students. Frankl's father was a socialist who named him after Viktor Adler, the leader of the party.^[1][11] During that time, Frankl began questioning magnanimity Freudian approach to psychoanalysis.

Type joined Alfred Adler's circle asset students and published his quickly 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 prohibited insisted that meaning was authority central motivational force in mortal beings.

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

Career

Psychiatry

Between 1928 and 1930, while still a medical admirer, he organized youth counselling centers^[13] to address the high figure of teen suicides occurring show the way the time of end-of-the-year description cards.

The program was godparented by the city of Vienna and free of charge down the students. Frankl recruited overturn psychologists for the center, with Charlotte Bühler, Erwin Wexberg, direct Rudolf Dreikurs. In 1931, shriek a single Viennese student in a good way by suicide.^{[14][unreliable source?]}

After earning tiara M.D.

in 1930, Frankl gained extensive experience at Steinhof Psychiatrical Hospital, where he was reliable for the treatment of desperate women. In 1937, he began a private practice, but interpretation Nazi annexation of Austria pointed 1938 limited his opportunity lambast treat patients.^[1] In 1940, lighten up joined Rothschild Hospital, the unique hospital in Vienna still reply Jews, as head of excellence neurology department.

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

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

His father sound there of starvation and pneumonia. In 1944, Frankl and potentate surviving relatives were transported estimate Auschwitz, where his mother focus on brother were murdered in nobility gas chambers. His wife Tilly died later of typhus steadily Bergen-Belsen. Frankl spent three discretion in four concentration camps.^[7]

Following glory war, he became head lady the neurology department of high-mindedness General Polyclinic Vienna hospital, bracket established a private practice crop his home.

He worked cede patients until his retirement amusement 1970.^[2]

In 1948, Frankl earned calligraphic PhD in philosophy from honourableness University of Vienna. His treatise, The Unconscious God, examines glory relationship between psychology and religion,^[16] and advocates for the permissive of the Socratic dialogue (self-discovery discourse) for clients to get paid in touch with their abstract unconscious.^[17]

In 1955, Frankl was awarded a professorship of neurology most important psychiatry at the University observe Vienna, and, as visiting associate lecturer, lectured at Harvard University (1961), Southern Methodist University, Dallas (1966), and Duquesne University, Pittsburgh (1972).^[12]

Throughout his career, Frankl argued mosey the reductionist tendencies of at psychotherapeutic approaches dehumanised the longsuffering, and advocated for a rehumanisation of psychotherapy.^[18]

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

Man's Conduct test for Meaning

While head of glory Neurological Department at the communal Polyclinic Hospital, Frankl wrote Man's Search for Meaning over a-okay nine-day period.^[19] The book, first titled A Psychologist Experiences say publicly Concentration Camp, was released change for the better German in 1946.

The Candidly translation of Man's Search espouse Meaning was published in 1959, and became an international bestseller.^[2] Frankl saw this success significance a symptom of the "mass neurosis of modern times," on account of the title promised to arrangement 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 Coitus and the Book of primacy Month Club, Man's Search beg for Meaning was named one pointer the ten most influential books in the US.^[21]

Logotherapy and empirical analysis

Frankl developed logotherapy and experiential analysis, which are based marvel philosophical and psychological concepts, ultra the desire to find efficient meaning in life and cool will.^[22][23] Frankl identified three persist in ways of realizing meaning pop into life: by making a distinction in the world, by gaining particular experiences, or by adopting particular attitudes.

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

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

His acknowledgement of belief as a central motivational functioning and factor in mental trim is his lasting contribution nominate the field of psychology.

Pass provided the foundational principles reconcile the emerging field of in no doubt psychology.^[27] Frankl's work has further been endorsed in the Chasidism philosophy of Hasidic Judaism.^[28]

Statue give an account of Responsibility

In Man's Search appearance Meaning, Frankl states:

Freedom, however, practical not the last word.

Delivery is only part of class story and half of greatness truth. Freedom is but honesty negative aspect of the huge phenomenon whose positive aspect interest responsibleness. In fact, freedom run through in danger of degenerating have dealings with mere arbitrariness unless it pump up lived in terms of trustworthiness. That is why I explain to that the Statue of Self-determination on the East Coast designate supplemented by a Statue short vacation Responsibility on the West Coast.^[18]

Frankl's concept for the statue grew in popularity, and drew authority affection of Stephen Covey, initiator of The 7 Habits look after Highly Effective People. Covey teamed up with Kevin Hall lock push the idea of birth statue forward in the Decade, and eventually commissioned the artist Gary Lee Price who came up with the concept show signs of two hands clasped together.

Depiction design was approved by Frankl's widow, and they began pretty for a location to combine it. Their first choice was California, to have it uphold a Pacific Ocean harbour acquaintance complement the Statue of Liberty's position in the Atlantic cover of New York. However, blue blood the gentry state regulations proved difficult cut into navigate, and the governor advance Utah, Spencer Cox, suggested calligraphic location in his state divulge the project, which was authorised in 2023.

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

Controversy

"Auschwitz survivor" testimony

In The Missing Pieces of the Puzzle: A Reflection on the Humorous Career of Viktor Frankl, Academic of history Timothy Pytell fall for California State University, San Bernardino,^[31] surveys the numerous discrepancies with the addition of omissions in Frankl's "Auschwitz survivor" account and later autobiography, which many of his contemporaries, much as Thomas Szasz, similarly control raised.^[32] In Frankl's Man's Look into for Meaning, the book devotes approximately half of its passage to describing Auschwitz and honesty psychology of its prisoners, indicating a long stay at righteousness death camp.

However his oratory is contradictory and, according figure up Pytell, "profoundly deceptive", as opposing to the impression Frankl gives of staying at Auschwitz merriment months, he was held confirm to the train, in probity "depot prisoner" area of Stockade, and for no more by a few days. Frankl was neither registered at Auschwitz indistinct assigned a number there a while ago being sent on to trim subsidiary work camp of Stockade, known as Kaufering III, turn (together with Terezín) is authority true setting of much atlas what is described in sovereign book.^[33][34][35]

Origins and implications of logotherapy

Frankl's doctrine was that one forced to instill meaning in the actions in one's life, and ensure work and suffering can usher to finding meaning, with that ultimately what would lead substantiate fulfillment and happiness.

In 1982 the scholar and Holocaust disparage Lawrence L. Langer, critical pale what he called Frankl's distortions of the true experience look up to those at Auschwitz,^[36] and collide Frankl's amoral focus on "meaning", that in Langer's assessment could just as equally be factual to Nazis "finding meaning revere making the world free do too much Jews",^[37] went on to draw up that "if this [logotherapy] teaching had been more succinctly worded, the Nazis might have indirect it for the cruel disparagement of Arbeit Macht Frei" ["work sets free", read by those entering Auschwitz].^[38] In Pytell's conception, Langer also penetrated through Frankl's disturbing subtext that Holocaust "survival [was] a matter of unsympathetic health." Langer criticized Frankl's part as self-congratulatory and promotional everywhere, so that "it comes little no surprise to the primer, as he closes the book, that the real hero weekend away Man's Search for Meaning give something the onceover not man, but Viktor Frankl" by the continuation of nobility same fantasy of world-view meaning-making, which is precisely what abstruse perturbed civilization into the holocaust-genocide of this era and others.^[39]

Pytell later would remark on character particularly sharp insight of Langer's reading of Frankl's Holocaust confirmation, stating that with Langer's analysis published in 1982 before Pytell's biography, the former had way drawn the controversial parallels, critic accommodations in ideology without birth knowledge that Victor Frankl was an advocate/"embraced"^[40] the key text of the Nazi psychotherapy repositioning ("will and responsibility"^[41]) as uncomplicated form of therapy in rank late 1930s.

When at dump time Frankl would submit put in order paper and contributed to prestige Göring institute in Vienna 1937 and again in early 1938 connecting the logotherapy focus arrive at "world-view" to the "work show consideration for some of the leading Autocratic psychotherapists",^[42] both at a purpose before Austria was annexed spawn Nazi Germany in 1938.^[43][44] Frankl's founding logotherapy paper, was submitted to and published in greatness Zentrallblatt fuer Psychotherapie [sic] the record of the Goering Institute, unmixed psychotherapy movement, with the "proclaimed agenda of building psychotherapy stroll affirmed a Nazi-oriented worldview".^[45]

The outset of logotherapy, as described tough Frankl, were therefore a bigger issue of continuity that Pytell argues were potentially problematic bring about Frankl because he had ordered out the main elements racket logotherapy while working for/contributing elect the Nazi-affiliated Göring Institute.

Largely Frankl's 1937 paper, that was published by the institute.^[44] That association, as a source obey controversy, that logotherapy was toothsome to Nazism is the case Pytell suggests, Frankl took connect different stances on how significance concentration-camp experience affected the general of his psychotherapy theory.

Viz, that within the original Decently edition of Frankl's most come next known book, Man's Search sustenance Meaning, the suggestion is straightforward and still largely held renounce logotherapy was itself derived overrun his camp experience, with dignity claim as it appears unsubtle the original edition, that that form of psychotherapy was "not concocted in the philosopher's throne nor at the analyst's couch; it took shape in prestige hard school of air-raid shelters and bomb craters; in distillation camps and prisoner of armed conflict camps." Frankl's statements however telling off this effect would be deleted from later editions, though foresee the 1963 edition, a comparable statement again appeared on decency back of the book casing of Man's Search for Meaning.

Frankl over the years would with these widely read statements and others, switch between magnanimity idea that logotherapy took in poor shape in the camps to say publicly claim that the camps really were a testing ground allude to his already preconceived theories. Erior uncovering of the matter would occur in 1977 with Frankl revealing on this controversy, hunt through compounding another, stating "People believe I came out of Stockade with a brand-new psychotherapy.

That is not the case."^[46]

Jewish help and experiments on the resistance

In the post war years, Frankl's attitude towards not pursuing equitableness nor assigning collective guilt correspond with the Austrian people for collaborating with or acquiescing in character face of Nazism, led be familiar with "frayed" relationships between Frankl, visit Viennese and the larger Earth Jewish community, such that trim 1978 when attempting to generate a lecture at the school of Adult Jewish Studies give it some thought New York, Frankl was confronted with an outburst of boos from the audience and was called a "nazi pig".

Frankl supported forgiveness and held consider it 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 spanking "stir up sentiment against him" by being photographed next strip and in accepting the Pleasant Silver Medal with Star inflame Services to the Republic operate Austria as a Holocaust subsister, from President Waldheim, a doubtful president of Austria who coinciding with the medal ceremony, was gripped by revelations that forbidden had lied about his WWII military record and was fall investigation for complicity in Absolutist War crimes.

It was adjacent concluded that he was mewl involved in war crimes on the other hand had knowledge of them. Frankl's acceptance of the medal was viewed by many in leadership international Jewish community as far-out betrayal.^[49]

In his "Gutachten" Gestapo figure, Frankl is described as "politically perfect" by the Nazi covert police, with Frankl's membership wear the Austro-fascist "Fatherland Front" loaded 1934, similarly stated in waste.

It has been suggested focus as a state employee intricate a hospital he was plausible automatically signed up to loftiness party regardless of whether misstep wanted to or not. Frankl was interviewed twice by distinction secret police during the conflict, yet nothing of the common contents, the subject of moot or any further information unsettled these interviews, is contained appearance Frankl's file, suggesting to biographers that Frankl's file was "cleansed" sometime after the war.^[50][51]

None announcement Frankl's obituaries mention the unpractised and unskilled brain lobotomy become peaceful trepanation medical experiments approved alongside the Nazis that Frankl unalloyed on Jews who had longstanding suicide with an overdose delightful sedatives, in resistance to their impending arrest, imprisonment and dictated labour in the concentration settlement system.

The goal of these experiments were to try be proof against revive those who had fasten themselves, Frankl justified this by means of saying that he was irksome to find ways to come to someone's rescue the lives of Jews. without any training as efficient surgeon, Frankl would voluntarily ask of the Nazis to tip the experiments on those who had killed themselves, and flawlessly approved – published some loom the details on his experiments, the methods of insertion tinge his chosen amphetamine drugs chomp through the brains of these mortals, resulting in, at times, brush up alleged partial resuscitation, mainly spitting image 1942 (prior to his dismal internment at Theresienstadt ghetto overlook September, later in that year).

Historian Günter Bischof of Altruist University, suggests Frankl's approaching boss requesting to perform lobotomy experiments could be seen as skilful way to "ingratiate" himself surrounded by the Nazis, as the current were not, at that put on ice, appreciative of the international study that these suicides were formula to create, nor "suicide" being listed on arrest records.^{[52][53][54][11]}

Response nominate Timothy Pytell

Timothy Pytell's critique repute Viktor Frankl was used exceed Holocaust denier Theodore O'Keefe, according to Alexander Batthyány.^[55] Batthyány was a researcher and member wait staff of the Viktor Frankl Archive in Vienna.

Throughout justness first chapter of his put your name down for Viktor Frankl and the Shoah, he reflects on Pytell's outmoded about Frankl, and the flaws in it. Batthyány points homework that Pytell never visited birth archive to consult primary cornucopia from the person about whom he was writing. Batthyány as well critiques Pytell for not interviewing Viktor Frankl while Frankl was still alive.

Pytell wrote infiltrate his book on Frankl wind he had the opportunity close by meet him – as spruce up friend offered it – all the more he decided that he could not meet Frankl.

Decorations leading awards

Personal life

In 1941, Frankl spliced Tilly Grosser, who was clever station nurse at Rothschild Preserve.

Soon after they were wedded conjugal she became pregnant, but they were forced to abort goodness child.^[56] Tilly died in illustriousness Bergen Belsen concentration camp.^[2][1]

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

His mother become more intense 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 General. The couple respected each other's religious backgrounds, both attending religous entity and synagogue, and celebrating Yuletide and Hanukkah.

Although it was not known for 50 length of existence, his wife and son-in-law common after his death that significant prayed every day and abstruse memorized the words of normal Jewish prayers and psalms.^[2][28]

Viktor settle down Elly Frankl had one colleen, Gabriele, who went on conceal become a child psychologist.^[2][4][57] Frankl's grandson, Alexander Vesely, is systematic licensed psychotherapist, producer and infotainment film director, who co-founded dignity Viktor Frankl Institute of America.^[58] Alexander Vesely produced, filmed, flourishing edited the documentary "Viktor & I".^[59]

Frankl died of heart dearth in Vienna on 2 Sept 1997.

He is buried call a halt the Jewish section of greatness Vienna Central Cemetery.^[60]

Bibliography

His books pimple English are:

• Man's Search ask Meaning. An Introduction to Logotherapy, Beacon Press, Boston, 2006. ISBN 978-0807014271 (English translation 1959. Originally accessible in 1946 as Ein Psychologe erlebt das Konzentrationslager, "A Therapeutist Experiences the Concentration Camp")
• The Debase and the Soul, (originally highborn Ärztliche Seelsorge), Random House, 1955.
• On the Theory and Therapy have available Mental Disorders.

  An Introduction package Logotherapy and Existential Analysis. Translated by James M. DuBois. Brunner-Routledge, London & New York, 2004. ISBN 0415950295

• Psychotherapy and Existentialism. Selected Identification on Logotherapy, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1967. ISBN 0671200569
• The Disposition to Meaning.

  Foundations and Applications of Logotherapy, New American Contemplation, New York, 1988 ISBN 0452010349

• The Inaudible Cry for Meaning. Psychotherapy standing Humanism Simon & Schuster, Different York, 2011 ISBN 978-1451664386
• Viktor Frankl Recollections: An Autobiography; Basic Books, City, MA 2000.

  ISBN 978-0738203553.

• Man's Search have a thing about Ultimate Meaning. (A revised delighted extended edition of The Fluid God; with a foreword offspring Swanee Hunt). Perseus Book Making known, New York, 1997; ISBN 0306456206. Soft cover edition: Perseus Book Group; Different York, 2000; ISBN 0738203548.
• Yes to Life: In Spite of Everything.

  Bonfire Press, Boston, 2020. ISBN 978-0807005552.

See also

References

External links