Fonds P29 - Correspondence between Wolfgang Loch and Michael & Enid Balint

Identity area

Reference code

GB BPASA P29

Title

Correspondence between Wolfgang Loch and Michael & Enid Balint

Date(s)

  • 1961-1994 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

2 files

Context area

Name of creator

(1915-05-10--1995-02-07)

Biographical history

Wolfgang Loch was born in Berlin on 10 May 1915 and died in Rottweil in on 7 Feb 1995. Even during his lifetime, he acquired the reputation of being the most prominent German-language psychoanalytic theorist of the second half of the twentieth century, particularly with regards to object-relations theory.

Amongst his professional activities, he established a chair of psychoanalysis at the University of Tübingen and he was a founding member and the first president of the Stuttgart-Tübingen Psychoanalytic Study Group. Michael Balint was first his mentor and then his friend, and Loch made substantial contributions to the development of the Balint Group method. For over two decades, he co-edited the 'Jahrbuch der Psychoanalyse'. He was president of the German Psychoanalytical Association (DPV) from 1972 to 1975 and became a member emeritus of the DPV in 1990.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Photocopies of correspondence between Wolfgang Loch and Michael and Enid Balint discussing professional and personal matters.

Loch's correspondence with Michael Balint (99 letters plus two fragments) covers the period 1961 to 1971 and discusses their psychoanalytic perspectives, their papers and matters regarding publication, as well as other professional issues and relationships, plus arrangements for psychoanalytic events and meetings.

The correspondence with Enid Balint (62 letters) covers the period 1968 to 1994 (mainly 1974-1990) and discusses similar matters, as well as the affairs of the Balint Society and Balint Groups. Also included at the end of this file are copies of three papers by Enid Balint which she sent to Loch: 'The history of training and research in Balint Groups', produced for the 6th International Balint Congress, 1984 (two copies); 'Creative life', 1989; and 'Draft for Cambridge paper 13 May 1989'.

Neither set of correspondence is complete; the final item in each set is a note informing Loch of the death of his correspondent.

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

System of arrangement

Two chronological files; additional and undated material is placed last in each file.

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Language of material

  • English
  • German

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

The collection catalogue is published online. A database containing abstracts of the correspondence also exists but is not available online.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

  • Latin

Sources

Nedelmann, C. (1995). In Memoriam: Commemorative Address For Wolfgang Loch, 1915-1995. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 76:1269-1272.

Accession area