Mrs. Martha Freud

Mrs. Martha Freud—'Frau Professor' to a wide range of friends and acquaintances—died in London on November 2, 1951. It is fitting that this event should be recorded in our Journal, since she played an important, if unobtrusive, part in the development of psycho-analysis.

Martha Bernays was born in Hamburg on July 26, 1861. When she was eight years old her family moved to Vienna. There her brother became engaged to a sister of Freud's and married her in 1883. Freud met her through this connection in April, 1882, after which she and her mother returned to Hamburg. Freud was in no position to marry at the time, but after a daily correspondence and several visits to his fiancée, the wedding was at last celebrated on September 14, 1886, in Hamburg. She became the mother of six children, of whom five survive her.

Mrs. Freud was a devoted wife and, being unusually capable, was able to smooth her husband's life so as to give him the best opportunity for his own work. They went through hard and anxious times together, particularly in the first ten or fifteen years of the marriage. They celebrated their golden wedding three years before his death. A distinguished lady, her generous charm, her delightful hospitality, and her complete goodness of heart made her a notable figure. In the thirteen years she resided in London she became the centre of a wide circle of friends and relatives, who now sorely miss her.