Freud Family Papers

Freud Family Papers 

Freud Family Papers 

170 items 0.5 linear metres 

The collection contains 147 pieces of correspondence between members of the Freud family, the largest part of which is between Sigmund Freud and Sam Freud. The letters are generally sent from family members in Vienna, Austria [Sigmund and Anna Freud], to family members living in Manchester [Samuel Freud and Pauline Hartwig]. The correspondence mainly covers the period between the First and Second World Wars, and contains detailed information about Sigmund Freud's living conditions in Vienna at that time. The letters are personal in content, containing news of family events and the health of Freud. There are really only a handful of letters which contain any considerable discussion of Sigmund Freud's work as a psychoanalyst, providing more emphasis on his personal life. The collection also provides insight into what life was like to own a business in Manchester at this time, through the letters of Sam Freud, a merchant in the city. Also included is a childhood letter from Sigmund Freud written to his half-brother, Emanuel Freud. It was written in response to a letter Sigmund received from a young Sam Freud, thus is the 'beginning' of their long-term correspondence. The collection contains a small number of photographs of Freud family members, and some newspaper cuttings relating to Sigmund Freud. 

It is unknown how the collection was originally arranged by Sam Freud or Pauline Hartwig. The correspondence was initally found arranged as follows, in a loosely chronological order within correspondent's files: The collection's previous arrangement has been maintained to some extent, although items have now been arranged chronologically to reflect the order of sending and receiving the letters. Some items that were found separately, (e.g. some photographs or newspaper cuttings) have either been arranged alongside the letters they may have been sent with, or they have been cross-referenced. The collection has been arranged into two sub-groups: correspondence, and photographs and newspaper cuttings. The correspondence sub-group contains six series based on correspondent, including one series created for 'Other family letters'. The photographs sub-group contains two series: one which includes a collection of photographs and newspaper cuttings which were grouped together, and the other a collection of family photographs found separately within an envelope.