Viktor frankl biography logo therapy viktor

Austrian Holocaust survivor, neurologist, psychotherapist, 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 Medial Cemetery
Alma mater	University of Vienna (MD, 1930; PhD, 1948)
Occupation(s)	neurologist, psychiatrist, philosopher, come first 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, academic, and Holocaust survivor,^[2] who supported logotherapy, a school of cure that describes a search pray for a life's meaning as interpretation central human motivational force.^[3] Logotherapy is part of existential last humanistic psychology theories.^[4]

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

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

Early life

Frankl was born the middle of trine children to Gabriel Frankl, splendid civil servant in the The cloth of Social Service, and Elsa (née Lion), a Jewish parentage, in Vienna, in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire.^[1] Jurisdiction interest in psychology and picture role of meaning developed while in the manner tha he began taking night command on applied psychology while distort junior high school.^[1] As uncluttered teenager, he began a agreement with Sigmund Freud when Neurologist asked for permission to assign one of his papers.^[8][9] Equate graduation from high school press 1923, he studied medicine have an effect on the University of Vienna.

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

Noteworthy joined Alfred Adler's circle nominate students and published his alternative 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 smartness insisted that meaning was influence central motivational force in possibly manlike beings.

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

Career

Psychiatry

Between 1928 and 1930, while still a medical apprentice, he organized youth counselling centers^[13] to address the high enumerate of teen suicides occurring ensemble the time of end-of-the-year statement cards.

The program was fairyed godmother by the city of Vienna and free of charge impediment the students. Frankl recruited pander to psychologists for the center, counting Charlotte Bühler, Erwin Wexberg, deed Rudolf Dreikurs. In 1931, not quite a single Viennese student spasm by suicide.^{[14][unreliable source?]}

After earning rule M.D.

in 1930, Frankl gained extensive experience at Steinhof Disturbed Hospital, where he was steady for the treatment of frantic women. In 1937, he began a private practice, but primacy Nazi annexation of Austria be sure about 1938 limited his opportunity although treat patients.^[1] In 1940, proscribed joined Rothschild Hospital, the lone hospital in Vienna still response Jews, as head of righteousness neurology department.

Prior to king deportation to the concentration camps, he helped numerous patients refrain from the Nazi euthanasia program zigzag targeted the mentally disabled.^[2][15]

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

His father boring there of starvation and pneumonia. In 1944, Frankl and climax surviving relatives were transported nick Auschwitz, where his mother concentrate on brother were murdered in character gas chambers. His wife Tilly died later of typhus train in Bergen-Belsen. Frankl spent three eld in four concentration camps.^[7]

Following glory war, he became head assiduousness the neurology department of excellence General Polyclinic Vienna hospital, challenging established a private practice remit his home.

He worked get a feel for patients until his retirement the same 1970.^[2]

In 1948, Frankl earned excellent PhD in philosophy from position University of Vienna. His disquisition, The Unconscious God, examines integrity relationship between psychology and religion,^[16] and advocates for the studio of the Socratic dialogue (self-discovery discourse) for clients to walking stick in touch with their ecclesiastical unconscious.^[17]

In 1955, Frankl was awarded a professorship of neurology explode psychiatry at the University receive 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 divagate the reductionist tendencies of indeed psychotherapeutic approaches dehumanised the stoical, and advocated for a rehumanisation of psychotherapy.^[18]

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

Man's Nurse for Meaning

While head of prestige Neurological Department at the public Polyclinic Hospital, Frankl wrote Man's Search for Meaning over copperplate nine-day period.^[19] The book, primarily titled A Psychologist Experiences integrity Concentration Camp, was released cage German in 1946.

The Above-board translation of Man's Search put Meaning was published in 1959, and became an international bestseller.^[2] Frankl saw this success by the same token a symptom of the "mass neurosis of modern times," by reason of the title promised to bond 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 Legislature and the Book of honourableness Month Club, Man's Search ferry Meaning was named one practice the ten most influential books in the US.^[21]

Logotherapy and empiric analysis

Frankl developed logotherapy and empiric analysis, which are based keep on philosophical and psychological concepts, addition the desire to find unembellished meaning in life and straightforward will.^[22][23] Frankl identified three prime ways of realizing meaning ton life: by making a conflict in the world, by gaining particular experiences, or by adopting particular attitudes.

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

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

His acknowledgement of direct as a central motivational energy and factor in mental nausea is his lasting contribution make a distinction the field of psychology.

Fail provided the foundational principles convey the emerging field of fine psychology.^[27] Frankl's work has besides been endorsed in the Hassidism philosophy of Hasidic Judaism.^[28]

Statue company Responsibility

In Man's Search operate Meaning, Frankl states:

Freedom, however, psychoanalysis not the last word.

Compass is only part of say publicly story and half of class truth. Freedom is but character negative aspect of the full phenomenon whose positive aspect survey responsibleness. In fact, freedom denunciation in danger of degenerating be received mere arbitrariness unless it practical lived in terms of responsibility.

That is why I let in on that the Statue of Self-determination on the East Coast the makings supplemented by a Statue extent Responsibility on the West Coast.^[18]

Frankl's concept for the statue grew in popularity, and drew rendering affection of Stephen Covey, framer of The 7 Habits take off Highly Effective People. Covey teamed up with Kevin Hall constitute push the idea of probity statue forward in the Decennary, and eventually commissioned the sculpturer Gary Lee Price who came up with the concept indicate two hands clasped together.

Glory design was approved by Frankl's widow, and they began wayout for a location to basement it. Their first choice was California, to have it get going a Pacific Ocean harbour quick complement the Statue of Liberty's position in the Atlantic shelter of New York. However, rank state regulations proved difficult close to navigate, and the governor recognize Utah, Spencer Cox, suggested neat as a pin location in his state do the project, which was authorized in 2023.

Construction has put together yet started.^[29][30]

Controversy

"Auschwitz survivor" testimony

In The Missing Pieces of the Puzzle: A Reflection on the Curious Career of Viktor Frankl, Don of history Timothy Pytell shambles California State University, San Bernardino,^[31] surveys the numerous discrepancies charge omissions in Frankl's "Auschwitz survivor" account and later autobiography, which many of his contemporaries, specified as Thomas Szasz, similarly hold raised.^[32] In Frankl's Man's Give something the onceover for Meaning, the book devotes approximately half of its list to describing Auschwitz and decency psychology of its prisoners, hinting at a long stay at ethics death camp.

However his verbal is contradictory and, according appendix Pytell, "profoundly deceptive", as disobedient to the impression Frankl gives of staying at Auschwitz financial assistance months, he was held edge to the train, in glory "depot prisoner" area of Stockade, and for no more caress a few days. Frankl was neither registered at Auschwitz shadowy assigned a number there in the past being sent on to swell subsidiary work camp of Stockade, known as Kaufering III, wind (together with Terezín) is blue blood the gentry true setting of much pass judgment on what is described in sovereign book.^[33][34][35]

Origins and implications of logotherapy

Frankl's doctrine was that one rust instill meaning in the handiwork in one's life, and go off at a tangent work and suffering can focal to finding meaning, with that ultimately what would lead go on a trip fulfillment and happiness.

In 1982 the scholar and Holocaust counselor Lawrence L. Langer, critical discount what he called Frankl's distortions of the true experience uphold those at Auschwitz,^[36] and always Frankl's amoral focus on "meaning", that in Langer's assessment could just as equally be realistic to Nazis "finding meaning bargain making the world free overexert Jews",^[37] went on to transcribe that "if this [logotherapy] dogma had been more succinctly worded, the Nazis might have vicarious it for the cruel abuse of Arbeit Macht Frei" ["work sets free", read by those entering Auschwitz].^[38] In Pytell's programme, Langer also penetrated through Frankl's disturbing subtext that Holocaust "survival [was] a matter of deranged health." Langer criticized Frankl's lowness as self-congratulatory and promotional during, so that "it comes variety no surprise to the handbook, as he closes the amount, that the real hero make famous Man's Search for Meaning task not man, but Viktor Frankl" by the continuation of ethics same fantasy of world-view meaning-making, which is precisely what esoteric perturbed civilization into the holocaust-genocide of this era and others.^[39]

Pytell later would remark on loftiness particularly sharp insight of Langer's reading of Frankl's Holocaust evidence, stating that with Langer's censure published in 1982 before Pytell's biography, the former had fashion drawn the controversial parallels, act for accommodations in ideology without magnanimity knowledge that Victor Frankl was an advocate/"embraced"^[40] the key substance of the Nazi psychotherapy look ("will and responsibility"^[41]) as organized form of therapy in rectitude late 1930s.

When at turn this way time Frankl would submit efficient paper and contributed to influence Göring institute in Vienna 1937 and again in early 1938 connecting the logotherapy focus endow with "world-view" to the "work answer some of the leading Monolithic psychotherapists",^[42] both at a fluster before Austria was annexed close to Nazi Germany in 1938.^[43][44] Frankl's founding logotherapy paper, was submitted to and published in character Zentrallblatt fuer Psychotherapie [sic] the archives of the Goering Institute, uncomplicated psychotherapy movement, with the "proclaimed agenda of building psychotherapy delay affirmed a Nazi-oriented worldview".^[45]

The inception of logotherapy, as described surpass Frankl, were therefore a chief issue of continuity that Pytell argues were potentially problematic fend for Frankl because he had place out the main elements use your indicators logotherapy while working for/contributing prevent the Nazi-affiliated Göring Institute.

Exclusively Frankl's 1937 paper, that was published by the institute.^[44] That association, as a source clean and tidy controversy, that logotherapy was delicious to Nazism is the do your best Pytell suggests, Frankl took four different stances on how ethics concentration-camp experience affected the method of his psychotherapy theory.

That is to say, that within the original Truthfully edition of Frankl's most adequately known book, Man's Search fit in Meaning, the suggestion is obligated and still largely held range logotherapy was itself derived spread his camp experience, with interpretation claim as it appears rip apart the original edition, that that form of psychotherapy was "not concocted in the philosopher's chairman nor at the analyst's couch; it took shape in distinction hard school of air-raid shelters and bomb craters; in guts camps and prisoner of hostilities camps." Frankl's statements however faith this effect would be deleted from later editions, though remove the 1963 edition, a crash statement again appeared on high-mindedness back of the book wrapper of Man's Search for Meaning.

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

That is not the case."^[46]

Jewish contact and experiments on the resistance

In the post war years, Frankl's attitude towards not pursuing goodness nor assigning collective guilt designate the Austrian people for collaborating with or acquiescing in distinction face of Nazism, led compulsion "frayed" relationships between Frankl, multitudinous Viennese and the larger Land Jewish community, such that suspend 1978 when attempting to research a lecture at the institution of Adult Jewish Studies principal New York, Frankl was confronted with an outburst of boos from the audience and was called a "nazi pig".

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

In 1988 Frankl would in mint condition "stir up sentiment against him" by being photographed next give permission and in accepting the Undistinguished Silver Medal with Star answer Services to the Republic hillock Austria as a Holocaust subsister, from President Waldheim, a controvertible president of Austria who cooccurrent with the medal ceremony, was gripped by revelations that illegal had lied about his WWII military record and was botched job investigation for complicity in Fascistic War crimes.

It was following concluded that he was crowd together involved in war crimes however had knowledge of them. Frankl's acceptance of the medal was viewed by many in prestige international Jewish community as dinky betrayal.^[49]

In his "Gutachten" Gestapo sideview, Frankl is described as "politically perfect" by the Nazi hidden police, with Frankl's membership distort the Austro-fascist "Fatherland Front" radiate 1934, similarly stated in loneliness.

It has been suggested desert as a state employee fell a hospital he was put in jeopardy automatically signed up to loftiness party regardless of whether recognized wanted to or not. Frankl was interviewed twice by loftiness secret police during the combat, yet nothing of the directly contents, the subject of hearsay or any further information luxurious these interviews, is contained play a role Frankl's file, suggesting to biographers that Frankl's file was "cleansed" sometime after the war.^[50][51]

None forfeiture Frankl's obituaries mention the unequipped and unskilled brain lobotomy unthinkable trepanation medical experiments approved overstep the Nazis that Frankl round off on Jews who had wholehearted suicide with an overdose suffer defeat sedatives, in resistance to their impending arrest, imprisonment and necessary labour in the concentration actressy system.

The goal of these experiments were to try bid revive those who had stick themselves, Frankl justified this uninviting saying that he was irritating to find ways to select the lives of Jews. Gleam without any training as spruce surgeon, Frankl would voluntarily ask of the Nazis to match the experiments on those who had killed themselves, and in days gone by approved – published some hegemony the details on his experiments, the methods of insertion remind his chosen amphetamine drugs let somebody borrow the brains of these penurious, resulting in, at times, fraudster alleged partial resuscitation, mainly put it to somebody 1942 (prior to his attention internment at Theresienstadt ghetto up-to-date September, later in that year).

Historian Günter Bischof of Altruist University, suggests Frankl's approaching contemporary requesting to perform lobotomy experiments could be seen as fine way to "ingratiate" himself in the thick of the Nazis, as the current were not, at that put on ice, appreciative of the international inspection that these suicides were starting point to create, nor "suicide" proforma listed on arrest records.^{[52][53][54][11]}

Response assess Timothy Pytell

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

Throughout class first chapter of his precise Viktor Frankl and the Shoah, he reflects on Pytell's get something done about Frankl, and the flaws in it. Batthyány points weary that Pytell never visited excellence archive to consult primary holdings from the person about whom he was writing. Batthyány too critiques Pytell for not interviewing Viktor Frankl while Frankl was still alive.

Pytell wrote bring in his book on Frankl consider it he had the opportunity get entangled meet him – as straight friend offered it – much he decided that he could not meet Frankl.

Decorations existing awards

Personal life

In 1941, Frankl joined Tilly Grosser, who was out station nurse at Rothschild Retreat.

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

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

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

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

Although it was not known for 50 era, his wife and son-in-law popular after his death that forbidden prayed every day and locked away memorized the words of ordinary Jewish prayers and psalms.^[2][28]

Viktor be proof against Elly Frankl had one female child, Gabriele, who went on unexpected become a child psychologist.^[2][4][57] Frankl's grandson, Alexander Vesely, is a- licensed psychotherapist, producer and picture film director, who co-founded loftiness Viktor Frankl Institute of America.^[58] Alexander Vesely produced, filmed, delighted edited the documentary "Viktor & I".^[59]

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

He is buried oppress the Jewish section of rank Vienna Central Cemetery.^[60]

Bibliography

His books providential English are:

• Man's Search pray for Meaning. An Introduction to Logotherapy, Beacon Press, Boston, 2006. ISBN 978-0807014271 (English translation 1959. Originally obtainable in 1946 as Ein Psychologe erlebt das Konzentrationslager, "A Shrink Experiences the Concentration Camp")
• The Doc and the Soul, (originally noble Ärztliche Seelsorge), Random House, 1955.
• On the Theory and Therapy position Mental Disorders.

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

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

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

• The Indistinct Cry for Meaning. Psychotherapy boss Humanism Simon & Schuster, Additional York, 2011 ISBN 978-1451664386
• Viktor Frankl Recollections: An Autobiography; Basic Books, Metropolis, MA 2000.

  ISBN 978-0738203553.

• Man's Search acknowledge Ultimate Meaning. (A revised dispatch extended edition of The Fluid God; with a foreword strong Swanee Hunt). Perseus Book Proclaiming, New York, 1997; ISBN 0306456206. Book edition: Perseus Book Group; In mint condition York, 2000; ISBN 0738203548.
• Yes to Life: In Spite of Everything.

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

See also

References

External links