Sigmund Freud Biography

Sigmund Freud Biography

Sigmund Freud Biography

Sigmund Freud (named Sigismund Schlomo at birth) was born on May 6, 1856 in the small town of Moravia in Freiberg.  
His father, Jacob Freud was educated as an Orthodox Jew but gradually gave up most religious practice, celebrating only “Purim” and “Passover” as family festivals.     His father was a poor wool merchant and his mother Amalia was 20 years younger than his father.   Sigmund Freud was Amalia’s first born.   Amalia was Jacob’s third wife.   Jacob had two other grown up sons, Emanuel and Philipp from previous marriages.
Freud had four other sisters and one other brother.   Freud was cared for the first two and a half years of his life by a nursemaid.   This nursemaid was a devout Roman Catholic and took Sigmund to church with her regularly.   Freud referred to her in some of his work and apparently dreamed about her as an adult. 1
In 1859, Sigmund along with his family moved to Leopoldstadt, Vienna.   He was a good student and very ambitious. The family did their best to ensure that their son received a good education.   Even though they were poor and lived in small quarters, Sigmund had his own room in which to study. He graduated from secondary school in 1873 with honours. His interest was in natural science, especially in the studying and behaviour of humans.
In 1873, Sigmund Freud entered the University of Vienna medical school. He hoped to go into neurophysiological research.   He continued doing research and studying under Professor of Physiology, Ernst Wilhelm von Brűcke for the next eight years and graduated as a Doctor of medicine in 1881.


In 1882, Freud met and fell in love with Martha Bernays. However he was too poor to establish a home with her at that time, therefore they kept their engagement a secret until he could become more established.   While Martha was living in Hamburg, Germany, Freud continued his research.   Part of this research was a drug that was derived from the leaves of...