Letter from Karl Abraham to Sigmund Freud, February 26, 1911

105A

Berlin
26 February 1911

Dear Professor,

I thank you for the trouble you have taken with my opus, and I am pleased that it could go straight into print. You remark that the work is “discreet” on some points. This is quite true, particularly concerning the question of the homosexual component. There was too little material in this respect. The similarities to Leonardo had struck me right from the beginning; perhaps I could insert a note about this in the proofs.

Now I must tell you about Fliess. I had a very friendly reception. He refrained from any attacks aimed at Vienna. He has closed his mind to the more recent results of Ψα since the conflict but showed great interest in all I told him. I did not get the fascinating impression that you predicted (Fl. may have changed in the last few years), but, nevertheless, I did get the impression of a penetrating and original thinker. In my opinion he lacks greatness in the strict sense of the word. This is also borne out in his scientific work. He proceeds from some valuable ideas; all further work just revolves around the proof of their correctness or on their more exact formulation.—He met me without prejudice, has mean-while