Freuds' War

Book excerpt: Despite his worldwide reputation as the father of modern psychology, Sigmund Freud’s security in his native Vienna changed overnight when Hitler’s forces annexed Austria on March 12, 1938. His books had already been burned across Germany, and now he and his family were at immediate risk. The Nazis carried out regular raids on Jewish families’ homes, and the Freuds were no exception. They suffered a period of house arrest and two months of uncertainty, before finally securing papers for emigration to England and making a last-minute dramatic escape. It was after becoming refugees in Britain, however, that the Freuds’ story takes a fascinating turn. Following their escape from Austria, both Sigmund’s son Martin and his grandson Walter enlisted in the British Forces, going on to fight for Britain behind enemy lines in Austria.