Anti-Semitism

            Freud was raised, not in an Orthodox Jewish tradition, in which Judaism would be forced upon him, but in a reformed, non-religious household, where Judaism was something Freud sought out and chose identify with.  In a sense, Freud thus “volunteered” to be Jewish.  While he may not have been an ostensible and practicing Jew that went to services every week, because Judaism is something Freud sought out, Judaism became an important part of who Freud was. Unfortunately, the Jews were, by far, the most threatened ethnic group in 19^th century and fin-de-siecle Vienna.  Anti-Semitism was an ostensible hurdle that Freud had to deal with and overcome throughout his life.   Ironically, had Freud not been a Jew forced to deal with Anti-Semitism, it is very possible he never would have been as prolific in the field of cognitive science as he was.

            Let us begin by examining the hostile and anti-Semitic environment of 19^th century Vienna, in which Freud lived.  During the 1850’s and 1860’s the legal position of Jews in the Hapsburg lands had been steadily improving.  Laws that prevented Jewish religious services and equal property rights were stricken down, and by 1867, all remaining pockets of legal discrimination against Jews had been wiped out. 

However, at this time a massive influx of Jews from Russia and the Hapsburg territories of Eastern Europe caused many Austrians to reevaluate their attitudes toward the Jewish population.  (In 1857, when Freud moved to Vienna, there were slightly more than 6,000 Jews.  By 1872, they numbered 40,000)*(p.20, Gay)  On May 9, 1873 a stock market crash occurred that left many Austrians bankrupt and in search of a scapegoat.  Journalists propagated typical Anti-Semitic rhetoric criticizing the Jewish bankers and “control” of money.  Popular opinion towards the Jews began to fall and demonstrations against the Jews became commonplace in the 1880’s. The anti-Semitic sentiment in Vienna reached a new high under the influence of Karl Lueger and Georg von Schonerer.

As a Jew, Freud was forced to work even harder to accomplish in a society that grew increasingly intolerant of Jews.  In 1897, Freud joined B’nai Brith, the Jewish fraternal organizations, as a place to seek refuge and be around other Jews who would accept him without question as a person and medical professional.  Only in such a nurturing environment could new ideas such as psychoanalysis ever be conceived and supported. Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis grew out of the idea that certain neuroses occurred because of psychological problems in the mind, not flaws in the body.  This radical departure from conventional ideas about cognitive science could only have gained popularity in a supportive group like B’nai Brith.  What is ironic is that, a group as supporting and nurturing as B’nai Brith could only have been founded as a reaction to a widespread, destructive movement, such as the anti-Semitism in fin-de-Siecle Vienna. 

• Introduction
• Anti-Semitism
• Freud's Professional Struggle
• Vienna's Political Situation
• Conclusion
• Bibliography