Book Description

The “gripping” true story of the founder of psychoanalysis—and how he made it out of Austria after the Nazi takeover (The Independent). Sigmund Freud was not a practicing Jew, but that made no difference to the Nazis as they burned his books in the early 1930s. Goebbels and Himmler wanted all psychoanalysts, especially Freud, dead, and after the annexation of Austria, it became clear that Freud needed to leave Vienna. But a Nazi raid on his house put the Freuds’ escape at risk. With never-before-seen material, this biography reveals details of the last two years of Freud’s life, and the people who helped him in his hour of need—among them Anton Sauerwald, who defied his Nazi superiors to make the doctor’s departure possible. The Escape of Sigmund Freud also delves into the great thinker’s work, and recounts the arrest of Freud’s daughter, Anna, by the Gestapo; the dramatic saga behind the signing of Freud’s exit visa and his eventual escape to London; and how the Freud family would have an opportunity to save Sauerwald’s life in turn. “Full of fascinating insights and anecdotes . . . Cohen draws copiously on the correspondence between Freud and [his nephew] Sam to paint a vivid picture of their complex and deeply troubled family.” —Daily Mail “An illuminating look at the end of the life of a giant of psychology.” —Kirkus Reviews