Heinz Ansbacher
Encyclopedia
Heinz Ludwig Ansbacher (October 21, 1904 – June 22, 2006) was a German-American
psychologist
specializing in the theories of Alfred Adler
.
. After completing high school he worked in a brokerage firm. He immigrated to the U.S. via steamer to Spain
, Cuba
, and Mexico
, working as a dishwasher. Upon arrival in New York
he resumed his career in the financial business and attended evening lectures by Alfred Adler
. At one point he went to see Adler for a personal consultation concerning his unhappiness over his work and over the termination of a recent relationship. Adler encouraged him to enroll in graduate school.
He attended seminars in Adler’s home, sparking his interest in psychology. Through Adler, he met Rowena Ripin, who had her doctoral degree from the University of Vienna
. They were married a year later. Although he had no bachelors degree, Ansbacher was admitted to the doctoral program at Columbia University
. He wrote his doctoral dissertation on the perception of number as affected by the monetary value of objects, under R.S. Woodward, graduating in 1937. This work concerning the importance of context was cited in the 1939 American Psychological Association
Presidential Address.
Ansbacher served on the faculty of Brown University
from 1940 through 1943, and worked for Walter S. Hunter as an editor for Psychological Abstracts
. Following this, he worked for the Office of War Information writing air-drop leaflets to convince German Soldiers to give up the war effort. In addition, he wrote some papers on German military psychology
. He came to the University of Vermont
at Burlington (UVM) in 1947.
In 1958, Heinz Ansbacher took over the editorship of The Individual Psychology News and renamend the periodical the Journal of Individual Psychology - much to the satisfaction of Adlerians outside the USA. Under his editorship, which continued until 1974, the journal maintained high academic standards and was devoted to "a holistic, phenomenological, teleological, field theoretical, and socially oriented approach to psychology and related fields" endeavoring to "continue the tradition of Alfred Adler's Individual Psychology".
and is still in print. They also authored Superiority and Social Interest (1964) and Cooperation Between the Sexes (1978). Ansbacher said his collaboration with his wife Rowena was what really made the work so successful.
They were jointly awarded the degree of Doctor of Letters
, Honoris Causa by UVM in 1980.
(1942-2010), founder and conductor of the Boston Landmarks Orchestra
, which gives free classical music concerts at various locations in the Boston
area.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
specializing in the theories of Alfred Adler
Alfred Adler
Alfred Adler was an Austrian medical doctor, psychotherapist, and founder of the school of individual psychology. In collaboration with Sigmund Freud and a small group of Freud's colleagues, Adler was among the co-founders of the psychoanalytic movement as a core member of the Vienna...
.
Biography
Ansbacher was born in Frankfurt am Main, GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. After completing high school he worked in a brokerage firm. He immigrated to the U.S. via steamer to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, working as a dishwasher. Upon arrival in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
he resumed his career in the financial business and attended evening lectures by Alfred Adler
Alfred Adler
Alfred Adler was an Austrian medical doctor, psychotherapist, and founder of the school of individual psychology. In collaboration with Sigmund Freud and a small group of Freud's colleagues, Adler was among the co-founders of the psychoanalytic movement as a core member of the Vienna...
. At one point he went to see Adler for a personal consultation concerning his unhappiness over his work and over the termination of a recent relationship. Adler encouraged him to enroll in graduate school.
He attended seminars in Adler’s home, sparking his interest in psychology. Through Adler, he met Rowena Ripin, who had her doctoral degree from the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
. They were married a year later. Although he had no bachelors degree, Ansbacher was admitted to the doctoral program at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. He wrote his doctoral dissertation on the perception of number as affected by the monetary value of objects, under R.S. Woodward, graduating in 1937. This work concerning the importance of context was cited in the 1939 American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
Presidential Address.
Ansbacher served on the faculty of Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
from 1940 through 1943, and worked for Walter S. Hunter as an editor for Psychological Abstracts
Psychological Abstracts
Psychological Abstracts was an abstract and index periodical and the print counterpart of the PsycINFO database. It was published by the American Psychological Association and was produced for 80 years, ceasing publication at the end of 2006...
. Following this, he worked for the Office of War Information writing air-drop leaflets to convince German Soldiers to give up the war effort. In addition, he wrote some papers on German military psychology
Military psychology
Military psychology is the research, design and application of psychological theories and experimentation data towards understanding, predicting and countering behaviours either in friendly or enemy forces or civilian population that may be undesirable, threatening or potentially dangerous to the...
. He came to the University of Vermont
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
at Burlington (UVM) in 1947.
In 1958, Heinz Ansbacher took over the editorship of The Individual Psychology News and renamend the periodical the Journal of Individual Psychology - much to the satisfaction of Adlerians outside the USA. Under his editorship, which continued until 1974, the journal maintained high academic standards and was devoted to "a holistic, phenomenological, teleological, field theoretical, and socially oriented approach to psychology and related fields" endeavoring to "continue the tradition of Alfred Adler's Individual Psychology".
Works and Honors
Heinz and Rowena Ansbacher both worked directly with Alfred Adler as scholars and editors and are considered among the leading early followers of the Adlerian school of thought. Their major contribution, The Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler (1956), is still the definitive text on individual psychologyIndividual psychology
Individual psychology is a term used specifically to refer to the psychological method or science founded by the Viennese psychiatrist Alfred Adler...
and is still in print. They also authored Superiority and Social Interest (1964) and Cooperation Between the Sexes (1978). Ansbacher said his collaboration with his wife Rowena was what really made the work so successful.
They were jointly awarded the degree of Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
, Honoris Causa by UVM in 1980.
Family
Heinz and Rowena Ansbacher were the parents of Charles AnsbacherCharles Ansbacher
Charles Ansbacher was an American conductor. After undergraduate and graduate work at Brown University and the University of Cincinnati , he studied conducting at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria...
(1942-2010), founder and conductor of the Boston Landmarks Orchestra
Boston Landmarks Orchestra
The Boston Landmarks Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.- History :The Boston Landmarks Orchestra was founded in January 2001 by Charles Ansbacher to perform free concerts for the Boston community in significant locations around the city...
, which gives free classical music concerts at various locations in the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
area.