Sigmund Freud Museum in London
The Sigmund Freud Museum in London is the memorial home where the founder of psychoanalysis spent the last year of his life. Freud and his family moved here in 1938, when the psychoanalyst was already over 80 years old. He was seriously ill and died in September 1939. The brick house in which the Freuds lived was built in 1920 in the English Baroque style, typical of the reign of Queen Anne – the early 18th century. It is a two-story building with a living attic and large French windows.
Highlights
The museum features the furnishings, furniture and personal belongings of Sigmund and Anna Freud. When moving from Austria, they transported to England an excellent collection of 18th and 19th century Austrian furniture, chests, several tables, cabinets and picturesque carpets. Visitors can see Freud’s famous couch, on which his patients lay during psychotherapy sessions. It is comfortably shaped and covered with a brightly colored Iranian rug.
.The museum houses many antiquities from Freud’s personal collection. These are objects from ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt, and rare things brought from various countries of the East. A special place in the museum’s holdings is occupied by the personal archives of Sigmund and Anna Freud, which consist of documents, a library of books, manuscripts and photographs.
.
The museum staff organizes professional seminars and conferences for professionals – psychologists, psychotherapists and educators – who are interested in Freud’s methods and use them in their work. A two-minute walk from the Sigmund Freud Museum in London, there is a monument to the famous psychoanalyst, created by Oscar Niemann. Notably, the sculptor was posed by Freud himself.
.History of the museum
In 1938, Nazi Germany annexed the territory of Austria. Immediately following the Anschluss, persecution of Jews began in the country, so Sigmund Freud’s life became very difficult. After Freud was interrogated by the Gestapo and his young daughter was arrested, he made the decision to leave the Third Reich and settle in England.
.
The Nazis did not want to let the scientist go without monetary compensation. Since Freud did not have the funds for the payment, he asked influential friends for help. Finally, the necessary money and permission were obtained, and the psychoanalyst was able to travel to England. Upon arrival, Freud’s family settled in the London suburb of Hampstead.
Freud was weakened by a serious illness and died on September 23, 1939. After his death, the London house passed to his daughter Anna, who managed to continue her father’s work and became the founder of child psychoanalysis. Anna lived here until her death in 1982. Fulfilling her wish, a memorial museum was opened in the house 4 years later..Garden
While living in the new house, Freud wrote that it was incomparably better than in Austria. This assessment did not only apply to the spacious, bright rooms, which were no comparison to the small, dark apartments in Vienna. Freud and his daughter were very fond of the small garden adjoining their new house.
This garden still exists today, and the staff of the Sigmund Freud Museum in London try to plant plants that Freud liked. Plum trees and almonds grow here. Of the flowers, the green garden boasts crocuses, geraniums, hydrangea, clematis and roses.
.Visitor Information
The doors of the Sigmund Freud Museum in London are open to visitors Wednesday to Monday from 12 noon to 5pm. Tickets cost £8 for adults, £6 for London residents, and £4 for students, disabled people and children aged 12 to 16. Children under 12 can visit the museum for free.
You can explore the museum’s collections on your own or with a guide. Tours are conducted in English.
.
The Sigmund Freud Museum has a store. It sells books and photo albums about Freud, as well as literature on psychology. The store offers a wide range of souvenirs – pens, bags, notebooks, key chains, watches, posters and towels with symbols of the Freudian museum. Copies of the most expressive exhibits from the Freudian antiquities collection are very popular with tourists.
.How to get there
The Sigmund Freud Museum in London is located at 20 Maresfield Gardens, near Sainsbury’s supermarket. This part of the city can be reached by buses #13, 46, 113, 187, 286, 603, C11, N113. It is an easy 6-10 minute walk to the museum from Finchley Road Station.
.
