The Twenty-Sixth Congress of the International Psycho-Analytical Association, which met in Rome from July 21 to August 1, 1969, attracted the largest attendance in the history of the organization, with 1400 registrants from all over the world, including, for the first time since World War II, representatives from Eastern European countries. For the first time, Miss Anna Freud was unable, because of ill health, to attend the Congress. Another distinguished senior member, Dr. Heinz Hartmann, was also unable to attend. The following account of highlights of the Congress is based on a report sent by Dr. Richard Burnett, A.Psa.A. Representative.
The main theme of the Congress was “Recent Developments in Psychoanalysis.” The scientific sessions were translated simultaneously into English, Spanish, German, French and Italian. On the final day of the
Congress there was a summary by Dr. Robert Bak, of New York, of the scientific papers presented. Dr. Bak said, in introducing his summary, that it would be good “to abandon the minuet style, the square dance of the squares” and seemed in this way to be aligning himself with the demands of students for less formality. In Dr. Bak's opinion the Congress presented no major breakthrough and no new paradigm, but only “mopping up operations.” He felt that the paper by Drs. J. Sandler and W. Joffe, “Toward a Basic Psychoanalytic Model,” was an important new contribution. The main thesis of this paper is that the central task of the psychic apparatus is moment-to-moment adaptation, which is super-ordinate to other points of view. He also suggested that the paper of Drs. U. Moser, I. V. Zeppelin and W. Schneider, entitled “Computer Simulation of a Model of Neurotic Defense Processes,” was a significant contribution looking to the future, and that computer programming will necessarily refine our thinking on the hierarchy of defenses.
In the discussion from the floor evaluating the work of the Congress, a number of speakers expressed the feeling that too little representation had been given to the Latin American group and to the minority who adhere to the Kleinian point of view. Speaking for the Program Committee, however, Dr. Jeanne Lampl-de Groot commented that there had been only one Kleinian contribution submitted, but that it had not met the requirements. A student, Dr. A. Clarence Rafford, of Sweden, said that the Congress should direct itself to students as well as to established analysts, and proposed a radically reorganized Congress. He urged that the students be represented in the organizing Committee for the next Congress.
The voice of the students was also heard at the Business Meeting when a telegram was read from a group calling itself “The Platform”, a protesting group of European students who had held a separate meeting at a nearby restaurant. The telegram said: “We, some candidates, are proposing to participate at all levels of the next Congress, including the Program Committee.”
At the business meeting it was announced that Dr. Leo Rangell had been elected President and Dr. Kenneth Calder Treasurer, there having been no opposing candidates. Dr. Rangell appointed Dr. Frances Hannett-Gitelson (Chicago) as Secretary, and Drs. Arthur Valenstein (Boston), David Liberman (Buenos Aires) and M. M. Montessori (Amsterdam) as Assistant Secretaries.
After considering invitations to hold the 1971 Congress in Paris, Mexico City, New Delhi and Vienna, the sentiment of the Congress congealed around the proposal for Vienna. Members were moved especially by the announcement of word from Miss Anna Freud that since the formation of the Sigmund Freud Gesellschaft under the auspices of the Austrian Government, she would favor holding the Congress there and would return to Vienna herself for the first time since she left in the 1930's. Dr. Wilhelm Solms of Vienna said that the Austrian colleagues were deeply moved by this action of the Association, and there seemed to be general enthusiasm among the members over the decision.
Officials of the City of Rome extended themselves to welcome the Congress, and its proceedings received wide press and television coverage.
AT VILLA GIULIA RECEPTION
ATTENDING A PANEL