Letter from Karl Abraham to Sigmund Freud, September 8, 1925

495A

Berlin-Grünewald
8 September 1925

Dear Professor,

I started writing a report in Homburg about my impression of the Congress which I intended to send to you. But hundreds of things claimed my attention, and I could not finish it. Meanwhile you have already received first-hand reports about all that happened, and the photograph, which turned out well, is also in your hands. So I prefer to start anew and only to emphasize what I may see somewhat differently from your other informants. To begin with, the assurance that the Congress was scientifically of a satisfying standard and that what I have to report is mainly favourable. It was better attended than Salzburg and more international. America was strongly represented and—to my delight—some of the American colleagues proved more capable and better informed than we had expected. Coriat1 made the soundest impression on me. Papers given by the others were less good, though Pierce Clark's,2 at least, had an interesting core. Among the other papers, there was only one that was really bad, and that was Groddeck's,3 who, at his first talk, seemed full of brilliant ideas but this time was incredibly platitudinous and monotonous. Reik, Ophuijsen, Reich, Alexander, and Róheim all spoke splendidly.4 Ferenczi's new statement regarding the problem of therapy5 implies a rapprochement that gave me much pleasure, but this time his paper was not as rich as usual in original ideas. Rank tried in a commendable way to come closer to us and we, on our part, have—I believe—helped him in this. On the evening of the banquet I had a lengthy discussion with him which should certainly have a good effect on our future relationship. One thing, however, I could not say to him—that even now he seems really ill to me. He read his paper6 at a furious speed, so that no one could follow, and once again all his statements were without foundation and completely unproven. Added to this, the euphoric mood and another journey to America. For me all this mea