Bruno Bettelheim

Bruno Bettelheim (August 28, 1903 - March 13, 1990) was a Jewish-American writer and child psychologist. Upon his father's death, he was forced to leave university in order to care of his family lumber business. After ten years, however, he returned to his education, earning a degree in philosophy, and authoring a dissertation on the history of art. Although interested in psychology for much of his life, Bettelheim never studied it formally.

Background and career

As a Jew in Austria, he was interned in Dachau and Buchenwald concentration camps from 1938 to 1939. His release from internment was purchased, as remained possible prior to the commencement of hostilities in World War II. Bettelheim arrived in the United States in 1939, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1944. Here, he eventually became a professor of psychology, teaching at the University of Chicago from 1944 until his retirement in 1973. He was trained in philosophy (Ph.D. in esthetics), and was analyzed by the Viennese psychoanalyst Richard Sterba.

Related Topics:
Jew - Austria - Dachau - Buchenwald - Concentration camp - 1938 - 1939 - World War II - United States - Naturalized citizen - 1944 - University of Chicago - 1973 - Esthetics

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The most significant part of Bettelheim's professional life was spent serving as director of the Orthogenic School at the University of Chicago, a home for emotionally disturbed children. He wrote books on both normal and abnormal child psychology, and was well respected by many during his lifetime. His book The Uses of Enchantment recast fairy tales in terms of the strictest Freudian psychology, sometimes to unintentionally hilarious effect.

Related Topics:
University of Chicago - Child psychology - Fairy tales - Freudian

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He suffered from depression at the end of his life, committing suicide in 1990, six years after the death of his beloved wife, Trude, from cancer.

Related Topics:
Depression - Suicide - 1990 - Cancer

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~