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3 July 1910
Vienna IX, Berggasse 19
33F
Prof. Dr. Freud
Dear Dr. Binswanger,
As I do not know whether Maeder is still with you, I am writing to tell you directly that J. v. T. is back to normal and much more honest and reasonable than he was before, a photographically exact reproduction of what happened last year.
Having got over the business part, I may, perhaps, be allowed to
confess that I do not understand the goings-on in your Zurich circle,1 and that I have no insight into the motives of the opposition to the International Association.2 - Surely, those who with Bleuler have refused to join have not altered their views on psychoanalysis? How do you envisage the next Congress, which, after all, can only be attended by members? Why do these dissidents wish to deny themselves any influence on the decisions and actions of psychoanalysts, when they are just as interested in the matter as those others who receive the Korrespondenzblatt for 10 francs a year?
With kind regards to you and your wife, I am,
Yours sincerely, Freud
The Zurich Psychoanalytic Association was founded in May 1910, preceded by the Society for Freudian Research, founded in 1907 (chairman Eugen Bleuler). Apparently not all participants in the original group wanted automatically to become members of the International Psychoanalytic Association. Binswanger declared, as reported to Freud by Jung on 17 June 1910, that ‘he would accept the vote for president only if all meetings were held in common with non-members’, Freud (1974a), p. 329. Freud (in a letter to Jung 19 June 1910) regarded this situation as ‘quite untenable’. It was a matter of just two things: ‘Two things are involved: to pay 10 francs in dues and put one's name on the list. Why on earth should certain people enjoy all the privileges without meeting these obligations?’ Freud (1974a), p. 331. The new body had 19 members to start with; see Korrespondenzblatt, No. 1, July 1910, p. 3. Cf. also Walser (1976), pp. 1202-04.