Alfred Robert Winterstein

Dr. Alfred Robert Friedrich Freiherr von Winterstein was born on 25 September, 1885. After his academic studies at the Humanistic Gymnasium, he developed interest in the study of law, but soon changed to philosophy and the history of art. He became aware of Freud's new psychology when he read The Interpretation of Dreams as a young University student; this and other works of Freud determined the direction of his interest for the rest of his life. In 1908 he established contact with Professor Freud, and was invited to attend Freud's Saturday evening lectures at the Psychiatric Clinic. These alternated with seminars in which the attending students had to give a presentation on a subject of their choice. Winterstein chose as his subject an interpretation of Shakespeare's Hamlet. When he started with an apology for his many quotations from Shakespeare, Freud remarked ironically: 'Bring as many quotations as you can, they will certainly be the best part of your paper.' This somewhat discouraging remark had no lasting effect on Winterstein's interest in psychoanalysis. In 1910, the year in which the International Psycho-Analytic Society was founded, he joined the Vienna Psycho-Analytical Society, and remained a member till his death in May 1958.

In 1911 he gained his Ph.D. in psychology. After his graduation, he continued his psychological studies with Wundt in Leipzig and later in Zurich with Bleuler, Jung, and Monakow, adding some study of medicine at both places. In Zurich he was for a short while analysed by Jung. During the First World War he had to join the Armed Forces, and for more than four years his analytic activity was interrupted, but he continued it afterwards by completing his personal analysis with Dr. Eduard Hitschmann. He was active as a therapist and analytic scholar till 1938. When the Nazis forced the Vienna Psycho-Analytical Society to dissolve, Dr. Alfred Winterstein and Vorstand August Aichhorn were the only members who remained in Vie