"I, too, was once a human being.

My name was

Sabina Spielrein."

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Sabina Spielrein in 1904

Sabina Spielrein in 1921

Sabina Spielrein in the 1930s

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Statement of protest on the court ruling regarding two Holocaust historians

The International Association for Spielrein Studies expresses its support for two leading Holocaust scholars Barbara Engelking and Jan Grabowski, co-editors of the historical book Night without an End. Fate of Jews in Selected Counties of Occupied Poland (Polish Center for Holocaust Research, 2018). A defamation lawsuit was brought against the historians by a woman, backed by the Polish League Against Defamation, claiming that the good name of her uncle was tarnished in the book. The court decided that Engelking and Grabowski were wrong to trust the testimony of a Holocaust survivor. It was decided that they have to issue a written apology.

As a scholarly organisation, we stand for the academic freedom to conduct historical research. We are concerned that the trial itself and the decision of the court will undermine the independence of scholarly work, and discredit the overall work of Holocaust researchers and stop them from investigating the truth about the involvement of Polish citizens in the Nazi crimes against Jews. 

The lawsuit and the court ruling is yet another indication of Poland’s turn in a very dangerous direction heading toward authoritarianism, anti-Semitism, and xenophobia.

The International Association for Spielrein Studies

Klara Naszkowska, Founding President 

Adrienne Harris, Founding Member 

John Launer, Founding Member

Pamela Cooper-White, Member of the Board  

Poster design: Luka Rayski 

About us

The International Association for Spielrein Studies was established in 2017.

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It aims to  advance knowledge and understanding of Sabina Spielrein's life and work and of her contribution to psychological and psychoanalytical thought, the history of ideas and the history of culture.

We desire to encourage and support research and scholarship in relation to the life and work of Sabina Spielrein and to promote access to documents and archival material relevant to Spielrein studies.

Membership is open to scholars, researchers and writers who have contributed to studies of Sabina Spielrein or intend to do so, or who are sympathetic to our aims.

Support us

Make a donation to:

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Międzynarodowe stowarzyszenie na rzecz badań nad Sabiną Spielrein

Account number: PL18 1140 2004 0000 3502 7872 1243

Address: Aleje Ujazdowskie 16/54, 00-478 Warszawa

BIC/SWIFT: BREXPLPWMBK

SORT CODE: 11402004

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or using PayPal: