The NY Times published an intriguing article about The Father of Psychoanalysis (and all our latent sexual desires) Sigmund Freud. According to the piece, there is now concrete proof, in the form of a Swiss hotel log, that Freud was in fact having an affair with his wife's younger sister, Minna Bernays. While many have alluded to the indiscretion, including Freud protege, Carl Jung, until now, it was simply idle gossip, with psychoanalytic proponents claiming that this rumor (which includes a possible abortion) was intended to undermine Freud's contributions to the field of psychology.
On a weekend getaway with his sister-in-law in 1898, Freud signed the hotel register, "Dr. Sigmund Freud & Wife." Freud's wife, Martha, knew of the trip, but not its sexual nature. Indeed, perhaps suffering from his own form of sexual repression, even Sigmund had difficulty remembering certain key aspects of his liaisons with Minna.
While in Switzerland with Miss Bernays, Freud had trouble remembering a name. Dr. Maciejewski theorized that the lapse involved some secret guilt of Freud’s, but he could not get to the bottom of it. However, while reading the proofs of his book last spring, he said, “a feeling of you forgot something crept over me.”
Oh Freud, you weak dawg, you…