On September 27, 2019, a conference was held in Lviv to mark the 25th anniversary of the visit to Lviv by Harald Leopold-Löwenthal, an Austrian psychoanalyst, a leading figure in Viennese psychoanalysis, and co-founder of the Sigmund Freud Society and the Sigmund Freud Museum. This visit was of paramount importance, as it effectively marked the beginning of the development of psychotherapy in general and psychoanalysis in particular in Ukraine. The event took place at the House of Scientists—an architectural gem of Lviv, built in the Neo-Baroque style by the architectural firm “Felner and Helmer” in 1897–1898.
The conference was conceived and organized by Harald Leopold-Löwenthal’s wife, Ida di Pietro, Professor Oleksandr Filts, and the founders of the Lviv Psychoanalytic Institute of Mental Health. Organizational support was also provided by the Ukrainian Association of Psychotherapists and the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the Faculty of Postgraduate Education of the Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University.
The conference began with a presentation by Professor Oleksandr Filts, a psychoanalyst and head of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the Faculty of Postgraduate Education of Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University, in which he shared some biographical details about Harald Leopold-Löwenthal, thereby helping conference participants, especially his younger colleagues, to gain a deeper understanding of this outstanding psychoanalyst. The professor also shared plans to translate Harald Leopold-Löwenthal’s work “Der Laie.”
Oleksandr Filts Next, the participants heard a presentation by Harald Leopold-Löwenthal’s wife, Ida Di Pietro Leopold-Löwenthal, whose support made the conference possible. Ms. Ida shared some personal memories of Harald and spoke about continuing his legacy in the future, particularly through the establishment of scholarships for young analysts to study at the Berlin International Psychoanalytic Institute.
Alfred Pritz, founding rector of the Sigmund Freud Private University in Vienna and president of the World Council for Psychotherapy, Vice President of the European Association for Psychotherapy, shared his reflections in his presentation on the historical role of Harald Leopold-Löwenthal for Viennese psychoanalysis and European psychoanalysis; in particular, he emphasized Leopold-Löwenthal’s contribution to the support and development of psychoanalysis in Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland. Mr. Prits also shared his experience of undergoing therapy with Harald Leopold-Löwenthal.
In his presentation, Professor Wolfgang Lassmann spoke about his experience undergoing supervision with Harald Leopold-Löwenthal. Professor Lassmann also noted that Leopold-Löwenthal considered it very important to maintain critical thinking and competition within psychoanalysis, as this is the only way to ensure progress and development.
Following Professor Lassmann’s presentation, conference participants had the opportunity to engage in a lively discussion.
In the second half of the conference, Ukrainian psychotherapists of the “first generation” shared their memories of their interactions with Harald Leopold-Löwenthal and their recollections of the beginnings of psychotherapy and psychoanalysis in Ukraine.
Oleksandr Myronenko, in his presentation “Harald Leopold-Löwenthal: The Finite and Infinite Dialogue,” shared quotes from one of Leopold-Löwenthal’s collections, which emphasize the importance for a therapist to be themselves in psychoanalysis, rather than merely adhering to analytical frameworks. Mr. Myronenko also shared some personal stories about Leopold-Löwenthal’s visit and his impressions of Lviv at that time, as well as his visit to a psychiatric hospital.
Vitaliy Yeliseyev, Olga Sidorenko, and Larisa Didkovska delivered presentations in which they shared their memories of the beginnings of psychotherapy in Ukraine, particularly the Truskavets Project—the very first training project based on personal experience, which began its work in Ukraine 25 years ago. The speakers also shared the difficulties they faced at the beginning of this journey.
At the end of the conference, participants heard presentations from psychotherapists of the younger and youngest generations. In particular, Oleg Berezyuk delivered a presentation in which he presented the results of his applied research on the work of Ilya Repin through the lens of Adlerian analysis and urged his colleagues to engage more frequently in applied research. For dessert, the audience heard presentations by two young psychoanalysts, Yulia Dovlad and Anastasia Volkovich, who presented the results of their thesis research. Yulia’s presentation focused on the characteristics of object relations in patients with eating disorders. Anastasia shared the results of her study on tattoos as a compromise activity of the Ego. The young psychoanalysts left room for reflection and inspired the audience to pursue further research.
Upon the conference’s conclusion, participants returned to their studies at the Lviv Psychoanalytic Institute of Mental Health and had the opportunity to discuss their impressions of the event in a large group. The students emphasized the importance of this event in the context of recognizing the continuity of tradition and belonging to a community that has been built over many years through the efforts of senior psychotherapists and numerous invited guests.