Letter from Sigmund Freud to Karl Abraham, February 11, 1925

472F

Vienna, Berggasse 191
11 February 1925

Dear Friend,

Naturally in complete agreement with the settlement of the Congress question. If I continue to be well, I too shall be there. My wife and sister-in-law do not want to miss the chance to be in Germany again, and people are already used to Anna as my companion. What is more, I am ready to set a bad example and go for a drive instead of listening to talks. So actually you should not invite me at all.

Your invitation to speak at the Berlin Gynaecological Society is really a good sign. You are right to expect that others will follow.

I have just written to Eitingon that I submit to the editorial decision with regard to the precedence of the “Mystic Writing-Pad” over Ferenczi's work. But I find your judgement of this note too kind. Despite the probable short-livedness of some stimuli, I would rather have perpetrated Ferenczi's work.

Your proposal to open a discussion on technical questions in the seems to me very useful and preferable to postponing it until the Congress. Very many contributions will surely come in. I too am prepared to do something. But do not make me say the first and the last word, let me come somewhere in the middle. Indeed I often have occasion to note that my utterances have a kind of living paralysing effect on the liveliness of the others', and I think I must be careful.

With cordial greetings to you and your house,

Yours,

Freud