During the period of severe unemployment in Vienna in the 1930s, a plan was evolved to establish a municipal apolitical, interdenominational organization, called the Winterhilfe, for the relief of the needy. Suggestions how best to fund such an organization were submitted to the newspapers by civic-minded residents.

A special notice was taken of the letter written by Prof. Freud and published on 29 November 1931 in Die Neue Freie Presse, the most prestigious newspaper in Austria. The letter was addressed to the city counsellor, Prof. Tandler, who was in charge of the Winterhilfe. In this letter Prof. Freud suggested a system of voluntary weekly contributions by all gainfully employed (or self-employed for that matter), with each individual assessing himself and deciding on his weekly donation to the Winterhilfe. By referring to Freud's writings and his life, the content of Freud's brief communication is brought into a meaningful context with his personality.