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The background

In 1985, with the publication of the Clinical Diary, the Ferenczi Renaissance began. In 1988 the Sándor Ferenczi Society was established in Budapest. One of its founding aims was to establish a museum and archives. Since then, every two-three years, international “Ferenczi” conferences have taken place in different parts of the world. At these conferences, organized spontaneously, professionals and intellectuals from different institutions and backgrounds have participated and continued to contribute to the furthering of Ferenczian ideas.

On September 2005, at the meeting “Sándor Ferenczi and contemporary psychoanalysis” in Florence, the wish emerged for a more permanent international network. A few weeks later, Judit Mészáros (President of the Sándor Ferenczi Society) was informed that a part of the former Sandor Ferenczi Villa was for sale. The apartment was originally Ferenczi’s office where he received his patients. It is in this villa that Ferenczi wrote the Clinical Diary in 1932, and one of his most cited papers: Confusion of Tongues between Child and Adults. The idea of establishing the Ferenczi House, Archives and Center began to take shape. The Sándor Ferenczi Society immediately rented the apartment with the option to buy it within two years.

The fund raising

In the following months the “Ferenczi House Project” was outlined by Judit Mészáros and Carlo Bonomi, and the fundraising campaign began. The idea was also launched to create an International Sándor Ferenczi Foundation with the aim to provide an international base to the project. The Ferenczi House project was presented at the Clinical Ferenczi Conference in August 2006, in Baden Baden.In the fall of 2006, the foundation was established by André Haynal. At the same time in Italy the Associazione culturale Sándor Ferenczi was also established by the Istituto di psicoanalisi H.S. Sullivan of Florence (Carlo Bonomi) and the Scuola di Specializzazione in Psicologia Clinica of the University of Turin (Franco Borgogno). The Italian Associationplayed a very important role both in the fundraising campaign and in providing facilities (secretarial assistance/website).Other local organizations were created in France - Maison Ferenczi - and in Argentina - Association Cultural S. Ferenczi, while in the US, the FerencziCenter at the NewSchool for Social Research also supportedthe project.

The fundraising lasted much longer than initially anticipated – it became a 6-year long process. It was necessary to renegotiate the original contract twice with the owner, which was extremely difficult, but finally the goal was reached and on May 27, 2011, the apartment – located at Budapest, I. ker.Lisznyai utca 11. I. em. 4./ First District, Lisznyai street 11,Apt. 4, 1st floor – was purchased by the Sándor Ferenczi Society and the International Sándor Ferenczi Foundation.

The donors

267 donors made the purchase possible: 19 societies/institutions/organizations and 248 individuals, from all over the world. All of them are listed on the page of the Donors. We thank them all. Our special thanks go to the Lélekben Otthon Könyvkiadó/Publishing House (Hungary), the Balint Institute (Hamburg), the Association Européenne Nicolas Abraham et Maria Torok, Paris (France), the Maison Ferenczi (Paris), the Sándor Ferenczi Society (Hungary), the Associazione culturale Sándor Ferenczi (Italy), Thierry Bokanowski (Paris), Franco Borgogno (Torino), Blaise Pasztory (New York), and Arnold Rachman (New York)for their very generous donations. We wish to express our special thanks to André Haynal for his generous and continued support.

The ceremony
(More photos of the purchase cerimony)

On the day of the purchase, a small ceremony took place at the Ferenczi House in which the International Ferenczi Center was inaugurated by Judit Mészáros.

To mark this occasion, André Haynal sent the following message:

"Congratulations!

Ferenczi’s consultation office serves again psychoanalysis.

It is a great moment in our history. Full of joy and satisfaction, I want to present the gratitude of a great part of the psychoanalytic community, to those who, by their work, made this event possible. Especially to Judit Mészáros, Carlo Bonomi, many of our Italian and other international colleagues, as well as the Budapest Group and everybody who helped us in this endeavour.

Cheers!

André Haynal"

The Awards
(More photos of the purchase cerimony)

Károly Oriold (Director of the Lélekben Otthon Könyvkiadó/publishing house) and Carlo Bonomi (President of the Associazione culturale Sándor Ferenczi) have been given awards by the Sándor Ferenczi Society for their indispensable contribution to the Ferenczi House Project.

The Ferenczi House Lecture
(More photos of the purchase cerimony)

At the same occasion the First Ferenczi House Lecture was delivered by Carlo Bonomi entitled The Future of the Irma Dream: The overwhelming task of standing trauma.

More photos of the purchase cerimony

Sincerely yours,
Judit Mészáros & Carlo Bonomi
Chair & Treasurer – Ferenczi House Fundrasing