3. International
Otto Gross Congress
in Munich

Bohemia, Psychoanalysis
and Revolution

15 - 17 March, 2002 
Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich 
Institute for German Philology
Schellingstr. 3, HS E 04 VG


Otto Gross

The International Otto Gross Society, founded in 1999, invites you to attend the third Otto Gross Congress from March 15-17 2002. The date of the conference was chosen because March 17 will be the 125th anniversary of the birth of the psychoanalyst and revolutionary Otto Gross. With its choice of meeting places for the congresses (Berlin, 1999), Zurich (2000) the International Otto Gross Society is following the stages of Gross' life in reverse. Gross died under tragic conditions in Berlin in 1920, stayed in Zurich in 1907 to undergo a cure for his drug addiction. At this time, his doctor C. G. Jung diagnosed Gross with "dementia praecox" and thus discredited him as a scientist.

Around the turn of the last century, Otto Gross studied in Munich. He moved there from Graz in September 1906 with his wife  and worked for a while as an assistant doctor in the psychiatric clinic of Emil Kraepelin. One of his most important works, "Das Freud'sche Ideogenitätsmoment . . ." was published in Munich as a criticism of Kraepelin. In 1908 Gross aroused a considerable stir with the essay "Elterngewalt," in which he spoke out against the influence of parents on the psychiatric treatment of their children. He spoke for the self-determination of children and criticized at the same time the family conditions that led to psychiatric illness.

Gross quickly became one of the central figures of Munich Bohemia. This came about because of the experiment he carried out on himself: the self-analysis which made him confront the trauma of his early years made him a magnet for other people, especially women, who were coming to terms either consciously or unconsciously with their own trauma.

His constant address and at the same time his real "practice" was the Cafe Stephanie in the Türkenstrasse. He was a firm fixture of the anarchistic scene, and his writings increasingly dealt with political questions. He was particularly fascinated  with the idea of connecting the findings of psychoanalysis with revolutionary practice.

He wrote: "It is important that the individual be allowed to experience the heightening of his/her own being in free relationships with free people. The deepest experience is that of the free relationship." Gross believed that such relationships intensified and developed the existence of those involved.

In 1919 Gross tried to shape the pedagogical notions of the revolutionaries fighting to form a soviet form of government, but time was too short.

With this congress, the International Otto Gross Society hopes to illuminate Gross' manifold relationships to Munich Bohemia, to analyze the theory and practice of his early psychoanalytic work, and to discuss the development of political and philosophical ideas at the beginning of the 20th century and their impact on Gross. 

Photo Galerie

Conference Proceedngs

Bohème, Psychoanalyse und Revolution. 3. Internationaler Otto Gross Kongress

Eds: Raimund Dehmlow & Gottfried Heuer
236 p., 14 Euro
ISBN 3-936134-06-5

Bestellungen: LiteraturWissenschaft.de Publishing House

The Café Stefanie, Munich 1918

Organiser
International Otto Gross Society 

Organisation and Direction
Raimund Dehmlow, Gottfried Heuer, Dr. Emanuel Hurwitz

Program 

Friday, 4 pm 

Opening 
Welcome Address 
Dr. phil. Werner Schubö, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München 
Prof. Dr. Dr. Lydia Hartl, Stadt München, Kulturreferat (invited) 

Keynote Speech 
Dr. phil. Brigitta Kubitschek, Prien/Chiemsee
Otto Gross im Spiegel der autobiographischen Schriften Franziska Gräfin zu Reventlows 

Close 8 am 

Saturday, 9 pm 

Lois Madison, Hamilton, N,Y.
Von der Synergetik zur Schizophrenie. Der Zeitfaktor bei Otto Gross 

Albrecht Götz von Olenhusen, Freiburg
Carl Schmitt, Otto Gross und die Bohème 

Discussion 

(Break) 

Raimund Dehmlow, Hannover
Der Fall Wertheimer oder Otto Gross als Verführer 

Prof. Jennifer Michaels, Grinnell, Iowa
Otto Gross and Karl Otten 

Dr. phil. Regula Bochsler, Zürich
Margarethe Hardegger: vom Politstar zur Verfemten 

Discussion 

Continuing 

7 pm 

Literarische Wanderung (Camillo Schrimpf, München), 
Close 8:30 pm 

Sunday, 9 am 

Members' Meeting 

11 am 

Bernd A. Laska, Nürnberg
Otto Gross zwischen Max Stirner und Wilhelm Reich

Gottfried Heuer, London
Der Skorpion im Messkelch" und "der Teufel unter der Couch": Oskar Panizza und Otto Gross - eine Seelenverwandtschaft 

Discussion 

(Break) 

PD Dr. phil. Bozena Choluj, Warschau
Anarchistisches, subversives Potential der Konzepte von Otto Gross

Dr. phil. Michael Raub, Villingen-Schwenningen
Von der Psychoanalyse zu einer neuen Ethik. Otto Gross' Ideen zwischen Positivismus und Intuition 

Discussion 

Close 6 pm

Registration fee
50:00 Euros. For members of the International Otto Gross Society, 30.00 Euros

Send registration to 
Internationale Otto Gross Gesellschaft e.V. 
c/o Dr. Michael Raub 
Im Oberdorf 6-8 
D-78052 Villingen-Schwenningen 
Fax: 0049-7721/33743 
E-Mail: michael.raub@ottogross.org

Payment
Please send payment with the note "Registration fee 3. International Otto Gross Conference" to: Account# 900 871 301, Postbank Hannover (BLZ 250 100 30)