Letter from Karl Abraham to Sigmund Freud, July 21, 1921

396A

Berlin-Grünewald
21 July 1921

Dear Professor,

The Comm. letters have just been finished. Rank will send you the Vienna copy,1 so that I do not have to report a great deal from here. Anyhow I want to mention to you, before I come to the point of this letter, that a publishing house here wants to translate a selection of your writings into Yiddish.—

I have to ask you today for some information I need for a quotation. I am busy writing a short paper on rescue phantasies.2 It deals particularly with the phantasy in which the neurotic sees a carriage approaching along the road, with the emperor or some other father-substitute in it, and the horses bolting. He seizes the horses' reins and thus rescues the emperor.—I think you have mentioned this particular phantasy somewhere. In “Contributions to the Psychology of Love, I” I can only find a general reference to the rescue of a high-ranking father substitute.3 Even Eitingon, with his almost unfailing knowledge of the literature, cannot help me. I therefore ask for a hint on your part! I have come across this phantasy in several analyses, but feel that I first heard about it from you. Many thanks in anticipation!

Secondly, could you let me know now approximately4 when and for how long you think we shall be meeting in September? I must know this as soon as possible because of other arrangements. An approximate date would naturally be sufficient!

I hope, dear Professor, that things are going well with you there and you will fully recuperate, so that in September we shall find you as fit as you were last year. With cordial greetings, also from my wife,

Yours,

Abraham