Letter from Sigmund Freud to C. G. Jung, November 30, 1911

30 November 1911, Vienna, IX. Berggasse 19

Dear friend,

Two days ago Bleuler notified me of his resignation and his reasons for it; his letter ends as follows: “I venture to hope that in view of what has happened you will regard this resignation as a self-evident and necessary step, and above all that it will not affect our personal relations in any way.” This sentence authorized me to write a critical answer. My answer was already formulated yesterday and was sent off today—uninfluenced by your letter which came this morning.

I do not know whether I have handled the matter for the best, but the “last trouser-button of my patience had snapped.”1 It may have been impolitic, but one cannot put up with abuse for ever. And possibly his masochism was only waiting for a good whipping. Now he has had it; rest assured of that, though I cannot send you the letter as you have sent me Maeder's, whose sincerity must be evident to any reader. What Bleuler will do now I don't know and I refuse to worry about it any longer. ΨA will manage without him and in the end he will not be very happy between two stools. If, as seems possible, he should now direct his resentment against me and try to come to terms with you and Maeder, I know you will do your best to meet him halfway. But Maier in any case must go.

Thank you for entrusting the matter of Bleuler's alcohol article to me. I shall send it off to Ferenczi tomorrow and at the same time pass on your advice. It will then be returned to you or sent directly to Deuticke, depending on your instructions to Ferenczi.

Riklin is taking his time with his secretarial duties. I see there is hope again for Pfister. Half measures never work in the long run.

I don't know if you ought to stay away from the meeting next autumn. It would be a good opportunity to teach the enemy good manners on your own ground, and perhaps to settle accounts with another Vogt.2

Here nothing much has happened. The meetings have been going