The Theodor Reik Archive

The Douglas Maxwell Library

The Theodor Reik Archive

The National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis (NPAP) is proud to announce the founding of the Theodor Reik Archive at NPAP. Theodor Reik (1888-1969), one of Freud’s most brilliant and productive students, was instrumental in the founding of NPAP in 1948. As a nonmedical analyst and immigrant to New York City in 1938, he sought membership in the New York Psychoanalytic Society. As revealed by Murray H. Sherman, (a senior member of NPAP, a student, colleague, friend and scholar of Reik and his works), the following occurred: “The New York Society had presented a document to Reik for his signature, offering him membership and a monthly stipend if he would confine himself to psychoanalytic research but not treat patients. This stipulation to refrain from treatment was regularly overlooked by the Society, and a number of non-medical members at that time were in psychoanalytic practice, while the membership tactfully looked the other way.” (Fifty Years 1948-1998, NPAP, May, 1998, p.13)

Fortunately for psychoanalysis in New York and America, Reik refused and with the help of a few non-medical analysts, he ultimately established NPAP.

Dr. Reik was one of the most recognized analysts in the 1940’s, 1950’s, and 1960’s, educating the general public (and the professional) about classical psychoanalysis (Reikian style) through the publication of his many books. Among his publications, Listening with the Third Ear (1948) was and continues to be a landmark of sensitivity and clarity for understanding what psychoanalysis is about.

The Archive will be devoted to collecting memorabilia of Reik and preserving it for posterity. Publications, letters, and photographs will be contributed by the Reik family as well as the many analysts who had the good fortune to know and/or study with Dr. Reik. Provision has been made to catalogue all material that is received in accepted archival protocol. Plans also include video recording of interviews with those who knew Reik and wish to provide their respective recollections of him. We are actively inviting analysts, as well as the general public, students, friends and acquaintances of Reik to contact us to discuss the possibility of receiving your memorabilia. Also, if you wish to be interviewed, please let us know.

 

Please contact us by one of the following:
Via US mail: Jennifer Knobe, Reik Archive Committee, NPAP, 40 West 13th Street, New York, NY 10011.
Via email: admin@npap.org
Phone: 212-924-7440

Reik Archive Committee:
Hollace Beer, Michael Mashberg (Chair), Doris Solomon, Thomas Wagner.
MIT’s: Leslie Kippen.
Jennifer Knobe, Administrator

The Douglas Maxwell Library

The NPAP library houses over 2500 books and periodicals, including subscriptions to several psychoanalytic journals, and all volumes of the NPAP’s journal, The Psychoanalytic Review. The library’s mission is to contribute to the clinical and academic development and advancement of our candidates and members.

All our books are catalogued on our database which can be viewed in-house or at our Online NPAP Library Database.

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