Margarete Hilferding secured a place in history as the first woman admitted into the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society. Born in Vienna in 1871, she built a career as a physician and psychoanalyst within the Austrian medical community. Her intellectual pursuits and clinical practice positioned her as a notable figure during the period of expansion for early psychological study.
Medical Education and Career
Hilferding pursued her formal medical training at the University of Vienna. Following the completion of her doctorate, she established herself as a practitioner in the field of psychiatry. Her work during the early twentieth century contributed to the growing discipline of psychoanalysis, marked by her integration into the scientific circles of her time.
Professional Contributions
Her academic and clinical output included the 1926 publication Geburtenregelung. Erörterungen zum § 144, which addressed legal and social aspects of reproductive health. This research reflected the intersection of her medical expertise with broader societal concerns in Vienna. She presented her findings and theoretical perspectives to her peers, contributing to the development of early psychiatric frameworks.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Personal Life and Deportation
Margarete Hilferding was married to the economist Rudolf Hilferding. Following the changes in the political climate in Austria, she was unable to depart the country. Her circumstances shifted drastically as she lost her residence, was relocated to an old people's home, and was ultimately deported on June 28, 1942. She passed away on September 23, 1942, while being transferred between the Theresienstadt and Maly Trostenets camps.
Family Legacy
The family faced severe consequences during this era. Her eldest son, Karl Hilferding, was apprehended by French authorities while attempting to reach Switzerland. He was held at the Drancy camp before being sent to Auschwitz, where he died on December 2, 1942. Her second son, Peter Milford-Hilferding, an Austrian economist born in 1908, managed to escape to New Zealand and survived until 2007.
Fast facts
- Born: 1871, Vienna
- Died: 1942, Maly Trostenets
- Citizenship: Austria
- Profession: Physician and psychoanalyst
- Education: University of Vienna
- Spouse: Rudolf Hilferding
- Notable Publication: Geburtenregelung. Erörterungen zum § 144 (1926)
Questions readers ask
What was Margarete Hilferding's primary field of study?
She was an Austrian physician and psychoanalyst.
What was her significance to the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society?
She was the first woman admitted into the society.
Did any of her children survive the war?
Yes, her second son, Peter Milford-Hilferding, escaped to New Zealand.
.jpg)