Bruno Bettelheim Biography
| Occup. | Writer |
| From | Austria |
| Spouses | Gina Alstadt (1930–1940)
Gertrude Weinfeld (1941–1984) |
| Born | August 28, 1904
Vienna, Austria |
| Died | March 13, 1990
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA |
| Cause | Heart Failure |
| Aged | 85 years |
Early Life
Bruno Bettelheim was born in Vienna, Austria, on August 28, 1903, to Anton and Auguste Bettelheim. His dad was a lumber merchant, and his mother came from an Austrian-Jewish family. Bruno Bettelheim was raised in what was then a middle-class Jewish household in Austria. He attended Vienna University, where he took a doctorate in philosophy in 1938. His main academic interests included art, literature, and psychology.
Nazi Persecution and Internment
In 1938, Bettelheim was jailed by the Nazis soon after the Anschluss - Nazi Germany's annexation of Austria - due to his Jewish heritage. He was first sent out to the prisoner-of-war camp at Dachau and later on transferred to Buchenwald. Throughout his internment, Bettelheim took great interest in observing and analyzing the mental effects of the prisoner-of-war camp experience on the prisoners, their will to make it through, and their coping systems. He was later on launched from Buchenwald in 1939, thanks to the efforts of his household and the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a Quaker company.
Life in the United States
Upon his release, Bettelheim immigrated to the United States, where he was quickly followed by his partner, Gina, and their 2 children. The household settled in Chicago, where Bettelheim was provided a position as a research study associate at the University of Chicago's Orthogenic School for kids with psychological and behavioral conditions.
In 1944, Bettelheim ended up being the school's director, a position he held for nearly three decades, till his retirement in 1973. Throughout his period at the Orthogenic School, Bettelheim gained prominence for his innovative and thoughtful technique to treating children with mental disorders, consisting of autism, using a mix of psychoanalytic therapy, milieu treatment, and individualized education.
Books and Academic Career
Bettelheim was a respected writer and scholar. His very first book, "Individual and Mass Behavior in Extreme Situations" (1943), was based upon his observations of Nazi prisoner-of-war camp and checked out the mental and social effects of severe circumstances on human habits. Bettelheim ended up being an influential voice in the scholastic field and gained international recognition.
Subsequently, Bettelheim published a series of books on kid psychology and psychoanalysis, including "Love Is Not Enough: The Treatment of Emotionally Disturbed Children" (1950), "Truants from Life: The Rehabilitation of Emotionally Disturbed Children" (1955), and "The Empty Fortress: Infantile Autism and the Birth of the Self" (1967). In these works, Bettelheim argued that a nurturing and understanding environment might cultivate the development of emotionally healthy kids.
Apart from his contributions to child psychology, Bettelheim likewise composed extensively about education, culture, and the humanities. Most significantly, his works "The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales" (1976) and "Freud and Man's Soul" (1982) showed his dual interest in both psychology and literature.
Debate and Legacy
In the years following his death on March 13, 1990, a number of allegations were made versus Bettelheim, questioning the credibility of his work and the precision of some of his biographical claims. Critics implicated him of exaggerating his scholastic credentials and his function during his time in the prisoner-of-war camp, in addition to using harsh and abusive treatment approaches in his deal with kids.
Regardless of these accusations, Bettelheim's effect on the field of kid psychology and psychoanalysis remains considerable. His work on the significance of a nurturing and individualized approach to dealing with children with emotional disruptions and autism has left a lasting impression, adding to the development of more compassionate restorative practices.
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