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On April 15, 1908, a dozen men meeting in Freud's apartment in Vienna voted on a motion proposed by Freud to call themselves The Vienna Psychoanalytic Society. The period of two years immediately prior to this noteworthy event is reviewed in this, the first of a three-volume series to be edited by Herman Nunberg and Ernst Federn. The entire series promises to be a historical document of unique importance, since it offers an illuminating, firsthand account of both the background and content of a crucial segment of the history of the psychoanalytic movement. The scientific contributions which first appeared during these early discussions are all well known to us in their elaborated and refined later versions. A great deal of historical human detail is offered here to afford the reader invaluable aid in understanding the evolution of this body of theory, as well as to provide a full measure of literary enjoyment and nostalgic pleasure.
The developments which led to the founding of The Vienna Society began in 1902 with those first meetings in Freud's home which came to be known as the Psychological Wednesday Evenings. These gatherings continued on a regular basis, and for Freud and this heterogeneous group of friends and colleagues who were interested in psychological problems, they presented an opportunity for the informal discussion of new ideas, a chance to review current and classical literature, and to report on their own personal and clinical experiences. Up until 1908 it was the rule that each person present had to participate in the discussion, but, unfortunately, no record of the meetings was kept between 1902 and 1906. These digests are the work of Otto Rank, from 1906 to 1915 the salaried official secretary of the group. His skilful and creative preparation of these minutes, from extensive notes taken during the meetings, almost always succeeded in conveying a remarkable feeling of freshness, identity, and personal stamp in the observations credited to