Margarete Steinbach, Madrid

An unexpected loss was suffered by the German Psycho-Analytical Association through the sudden death in Madrid of Mrs. Margarete Steinbach on 9 April, 1954. When the Association began to function again in 1950, Mrs. Steinbach was one of the six analysts who re-established it under the direction of Dr. Carl Müller-Braunschweig.

Margarete Steinbach was born on 12 July, 1894. She passed her teacher's examination in 1914, and from 1921 to 1926 she was working at the German School in Madrid. She returned to Germany in 1926 and studied academic psychology at Berlin University under Köhler and Lewin. At the same time she began her training at the Berlin Psycho-Analytical Institute, and was analysed by Dr. Bally. In 1939 she became a member of the German Psycho-Analytical Association, which was then known as a study group of the German Institute for Psychological Research and Therapy. At the end of the 1939 war, she worked exclusively as a member of the German Psycho-Analytical Association within the framework of the Training Council of the Berlin Psychotherapists. She also lectured at the Institute for Psychotherapy, and taught at several schools, including the Teachers' Training College in Berlin. In March 1951 she was invited to undertake the training of psycho-analysts in Spain. In the short space of three years she was not only training analyst of nine doctors (mostly psychiatrists), two psychologists and one headmistress, but also undertook the control of cases and taught the theory of psycho-analysis. In addition she carried out a number of therapeutic analyses.

Margarete Steinbach had a thorough knowledge and understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects of psycho-analysis; she had a lively intelligence and tremendous drive which was of much help to her in her work of establishing the 'Asociacion Psicoanalítica Española'. News of the recognition of this association by the Spanish Government reached her a few hours before her death.

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