Vanda Shrenger Weiss – the Croatian pioneer between two worlds: Her role in the birth of the Italian Psychoanalytic Society (SPI)

Abstract

In this paper the author sheds light on Vanda Shrenger Weiss, a forgotten pioneer of the international psychoanalytic movement. Vanda Shrenger was born into a large Jewish family in Croatia (1892), and her life was thoroughly intertwined with the great tragedies of European history: the First World War, the anti-Semitic persecution within Eastern Europe, which entailed the decimation of her extended family in Croatia. Finally, the introduction of fascist laws in Italy led to her and her husband - Edoardo Weiss, the founder of the Italian Psychoanalytic Society - seeking refuge in the United States of America. During her time spent in Italy (1919-39), Vanda Shrenger, doctor and paediatrician, dedicated herself to psychoanalysis. She played a crucial part in the reconstruction of the Italian Psychoanalytic Society (SPI), whilst also being a founding member of the Rivista Italiana di Psicoanalisi (Rome, 1932). Vanda was the first woman to be a member of the SPI as well as to present a paper for it. This insightful and extensive analysis relating to this pioneer of the psychoanalytic world, has been meticulously accomplished by use of a combination of original archival materials, along with access to previously unpublished documents and personal details, kindly made available to the author by Marianna, the daughter of Vanda and Edoardo Weiss, who still lives in the United States today.

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