Chapter IV. Fame and Suffering (1926-1933)

As well as an irreparable gap, Abraham's death left many important problems. There was, to begin with, the question of replacing him on the Committee. Brill being at too great a distance for frequent communications, I suggested the names of James Glover, van Ophuijsen, Rado, and Joan Riviere, but it was decided to continue as we were.1 Then there were two Presidential vacancies. Since Eitingon was on holiday in Sicily, Ferenczi, Sachs, and I were the only members present at the funeral in Berlin, and we had several discussions about the situation. Ferenczi put in a claim to be the next President of the International Association, but Freud, when we informed him, thought this would be a serious slight on Eitingon who as Secretary had been intended in due course to be Abraham's successor. We were not sure whether he would accept the onerous position, which would among other things interfere with his custom of taking long holidays abroad at various times of the year. However, on his return from Sicily he not only expressed his willingness to accept the position but from then on developed a high sense of responsibility which was to many somewhat of a surprise. He firmly refused, on the other hand, to succeed Abraham as President of the German Society, and after much discussion our choice fell on Simmel, who also fully lived up to our expectations. Anna Freud replaced Eitingon as Secretary of the International Association.

Freud had given up attending the Vienna Society since his big operation, but he made a point of being present at the Abraham Memorial meeting held on January 6. His short obituary notice appeared in the first number of the 1926 Zeitschrift. The following number was to have been devoted to a commemoration of Freud's seventieth birthday, but Freud instructed Rado, the active editor, to postpone this and devote the next number to the memorial notices of Abraham which Rado had wished to publish at the end of the year. ‘One cannot celebrate any festival