Fritz Künkel

Fritz Künkel (September 6, 1889 - April 2, 1956) was known both as a German psychiatrist and an American psychologist. He might best be understood as a social scientist who sought to integrate psychology (especially the work of Freud, Adler and Jung), sociology and religion into a unified theory of human being. He consolidated these insights into a theory of character development and finally into his "We-Psychology".

Biography

The following material comes from the brief life written by John A. Sanford with the assistance of Kunkel's two sons.

Kunkel was born the seventh of eight siblings, on a wealthy estate in Brandenburg (now Poland), on September 6, 1889. His early life was characterized as carefree, imaginative, active and social. While pursuing a variety of interests, he did manage to study medicine, receiving his medical degree “a few days after the beginning of the First World War” (1984, p. 1). At the Battle of Verdun, working as a battalion surgeon, he received a shrapnel wound that led to the loss of his left arm.

Around 1919-1920, Kunkel moved to Vienna, where he became associated with Alfred Adler. In 1924, he began to practice Adlerian psychotherapy in Berlin. Over the next 10 to 15 years he built on his Adlerian foundations, publishing a dozen books and founding his unique school of "We-Psychology".

Although not having expressed openly anti-Semitism, he supported the Nazi regime

In 1939, with the Second World War looming near, Kunkel moved to the United States, where he continued to develop We-Psychology while leading an active life of travel, lecture, writing and psychotherapy, until he died on Easter Sunday in 1956.

Literary works

• unknown year: Psychologie van het ongeloof (Dutch Translation)
• 1927 Die Grundbegriffe der Individualpsychologie (with Ruth Kunkel). Opvoeding tot persoonlijkheid (Dutch Translation)
• 1928 Die Arbeit am Character. God helps those. Karaktervorming door zelfopvoeding (Dutch Translation)
• 1929 Arbeit am Charakter
• 1929-1935 Angewandte Charakterkunde, 6 vols.
• 1929 Part 1 from Angewandte Charakterkunde Einführung in die Characterkunde. Introduction a la characterologia.

Inleiding tot de dialectische karakterkunde (Dutch Translation). Let's be normal.

• 1929 Der kritische Punkt in der Charakterkunde.
• 1929 Das Dumme Kind. Het domme kind (Dutch Translation)
• 1929 Vitale Dialektik. Levend denken (Dutch Translation)
• 1930 Jugendcharakterkunde. What It Means To Grow Up. Karakterkunde van de jeugd (Dutch Translation)
• 1931 Grundzüge der Politischen Charakterkunde. Individu en gemeenschap (Dutch Translation)
• 1931 Eine Angstneurose und Ihre Behandlung. Genezing van angst (Dutch Translation)
• 1931 Part 2 Charakter, Wachstum und Erziehung. Karakter, groei en opvoeding (Dutch Translation). Character, Growth, and Education.
• 1932 Krisenbriefe. Crisisbrieven (Dutch Translation)
• 1932 Part 3 Charakter, Liebe und Ehe. Karakter, liefde en huwelijk (Dutch Translation)
• 1933 Part 4 Charakter, Einzelmensch und Gruppe. Groepskarakterkunde (Dutch Translation)
• 1934 Part 5 Charakter, Leiden und Heilung. Karakter, ziekte en genezing (Dutch Translation)
• 1935 Part 6 Charakter, Krisis und Weltanschauung, 2e bearbeitung von Vitale Dialektiek.
• 1935 Grundzüge der praktischen Seelenheilkunde. Conquer Yourself.
• 1936 Die Erziehung Deiner Kinder (with Elizabeth Kunkel).
• 1939 Das Wir.
• 1940 How Character Develops (with Roy Dickerson).
• 1943 Ringen um Reife. In Search of Maturity.
• 1946 What Do You Advise? (with Ruth Gardner).
• 1947 Creation Continues. Die Schöpfung geht weiter
• 1947 My Dear Ego.

External links

• http://www.pedinova.ch/fritz-kuenkel-psycho.0.html (German)
• / Editor's note Kunkel Sel. Writings
• http://theologytoday.ptsem.edu/apr1985/v42-1-booknotes11.htm