P. J. Van Der Leeuw (1909–1985)

After a period of steadily declining health, Pieter Jacob van der Leeuw died suddenly on 20 November 1985 while visiting a friend and colleague.

Jaap (as he was known) van der Leeuw served the cause of psychoanalytical science in many ways. He held a large number of administrative offices. These included the chairmanship of the Dutch Society, the chairmanship of the Institute's Board of Management, the chairmanship of the Training Committee and offices in many ad hoc commissions. His international achievements include his efforts after the Second World War to re-establish contacts between analysts in different countries. He gave his support to the initiative of the Arbeitstagung; he was one of the founders of the European Psychoanalytical Federation, of which he was Vice-President for some years before being elected President of the International Psychoanalytical Association in 1965.

Dr van der Leeuw worked very hard on behalf of the Sigmund-Freud-Gesellschaft, whose functions include the management of the Freud house in the Berggasse as a museum. His important contribution to psychoanalysis in Austria was acknowledged by the conferment of honorary membership of the Vienna Psychoanalytical Society. He was made an honorary member of the Venezuelan Society in recognition of his services to it. The Dutch Society awarded him honorary membership in 1979.

Dr van der Leeuw wrote a number of original papers on his administrative experience, the best known perhaps being 'The psychoanalytic society' (1968) and 'Modern times and the psychoanalyst today' (1980). In describing this experience, he drew on his rich psychoanalytic insight into personal relations and administrative conflicts. He wrote only about matters that strongly affected him and occupied him for long periods. His article on the Freud-Jung letters ('The impact of the Freud-Jung correspondence on the history of ideas', 1977) is masterly, explaining clearly as it does how the experience of the relations bet