Fantasy and reality in history /

Gathered here are a group of exemplary essays written by Loewenberg on far-ranging topics, many of which have hitherto received little attention in the field of psychohistory. His biographical vignettes include Sigmund Freud, William Gladstone, Walter Rathenau, Karl Renner, and the contemporary Russian nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky. Lowenberg brings to his work both historical training and clinical psychoanalysis; his essays combine psychology with history and biography. For example, in the study of Karl Renner, Austrian chancellor after WW I and president after WW II, Loewenberg examines the interplay of Renner's pained and complicated early childhood with his ability to adapt to different political regimes in Austria. Loewenberg shows Renner's ability to solve difficult issues of conflicting nationalities. Just as individuals feel anxiety, so do entire cultures, as Loewenberg demonstrates in his "Psychodynamics of Nationalism." He discusses its many manifestations, positive as well as negative. The Swiss, for example, are multilingual, nationally distinct from their neighbors, and also respect their internal linguistic and cultural differences. In another essay, Loewenberg deals with group behavior and creativity in the development of an exceptional scientific community, known as the Burgholzli, the Cantonal Psychiatric University Hospital and Clinic of Zurich. Because of Zurich's cosmopolitan character, Burgholzli became the preeminent psychoanalytic training and research center in the world. Fantasy and Reality is a remarkable contribution to psychohistory. All levels. J. Szaluta United States Merchant Marine Academy