Primary teachers information

"It was far more successful than I had dared to hope and was voted the best outing of term."

Year 6 Teacher.

Dear Primary Teacher,

Have you ever considered an educational visit to the Freud Museum?

The Freud Museum is a small 'house museum' which was formerly the home of Sigmund Freud and his family when they escaped the Nazi annexation of Austria. Thus Nazi persecution of Freud led to the extraordinary environment in which he had developed his epoch-making theories being transported, in its entirety, from Vienna to London. It remained the family home until his daughter Anna Freud died in 1982, and it was her wish that the house should become a museum to commemorate her father's life and work. The museum was opened in 1986.

The museum contains Freud's library, his study and consulting room, and a remarkable collection of antiquities. Freud collected thousands of antiquities during his life from ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, as well as Buddhist and Daoist objects from China and the Far East. These objects not only refer back to the religion, mythology and social life of the cultures which created them, but also to the culture which collected them. Freud was himself working during the heyday of 'heroic' archaeology (remember Indiana Jones!) and he likened his psychological procedures to the work of archaeology.

The educational potential of the museum covers a variety of areas, from social history, biography and medical history, to mythology, art and design. However, given the nature of Freud's ideas, we are keen to encourage an interpretative attitude to the collection. For instance, why did Freud collect so many objects? What did specific objects mean to Freud himself? What are the reasons we ourselves collect things? Many topics can be explored in the museum which are of great interest for young and older students. There are not many occassions when you can talk about your dreams in the very environment in which Freud wrote his book 'The Interpretation of Dreams'!

In 1991 the Freud Museum was one of only two London museums shortlisted for a Gulbenkian Award for innovative museum education. Visits usually last from one and a half to two hours, and the cost is £1.00 per student. Teachers are asked to contact the Education Director for worksheets and other educational material for their visits. It is ideal if you can come to the museum beforehand to assess the educational potential for your particular group and discuss your visit with the Education Director.

Visits can be arranged for Monday and Tuesday all day, or Wednesday morning. Please contact Ivan Ward, Museum Education Director, on 020 7435 2002 or via the Enquiry Form.