Freud Museum facts for kids
The Freud Museum, as seen from the garden
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Established | 28 July 1986 |
|---|---|
| Location | Maresfield Gardens London, NW3 United Kingdom |
| Public transit access |  Hampstead Finchley Road & Frognal Finchley Road |
The Freud Museum in London is a special museum in the house where the famous thinker Sigmund Freud lived. He moved there with his family for the last year of his life.
In 1938, Freud had to escape from Austria when the Nazis took control. He traveled through Paris and came to London. After a short stay somewhere else, he moved to the house at 20 Maresfield Gardens, which is now the museum.
Freud passed away in the house a year later, but his daughter, Anna Freud, lived there until she died in 1982. Anna was also a famous thinker who developed new ideas about child therapy. It was her wish to turn the house into a museum to honor her father. The museum opened to the public in July 1986.
Even in London, Freud kept working. He wrote his final book, Moses and Monotheism, in this house. He also saw patients here. The most famous object in the museum is the couch where his patients would lie down and talk about whatever came into their minds. Freud called this method the free association technique.
There are two other museums dedicated to Freud. One is in Vienna, Austria, and the other is in Příbor, Czech Republic, in the house where he was born.
Contents
The Museum Building and Location
The museum is located at 20 Maresfield Gardens in Hampstead, a neighborhood in London. The house itself was built in 1920 in the popular British Queen Anne Revival style.
When Freud moved in, his son Ernst Ludwig Freud, who was an architect, added a small, modern sunroom at the back of the house. The garden is well-cared-for and looks much like it did when Freud lived there.
What's Inside the Museum?
The ground floor of the museum has Freud's study, library, hall, and dining room. You can also find the museum shop here.
On the first floor, there is a room where you can watch videos about Freud. You can also see Anna Freud's room. Another room is used for special exhibitions that change over time. These exhibitions often feature contemporary art or other topics related to Freud.
Some parts of the house, like the kitchen, are not open to the public because they are now used as offices.
Freud's Amazing Collection
_in_2024.jpg)
When the Freud family moved to London, they brought everything with them. The museum is filled with their furniture, including beautiful chests, tables, and cupboards from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Freud also loved history and collected many ancient objects. The museum has his collection of artifacts from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and Asia.
The Famous Couch
The most important item in the museum is Freud's psychoanalytic couch. A patient gave it to him as a gift in 1890. In 2013, it was carefully restored, which cost £5000. This is the couch where his patients would relax and share their thoughts.
The Study and Library
After Freud's death, his daughter Anna made sure his study and library were kept exactly as he left them. The bookshelves are filled with books by his favorite authors, like Goethe and Shakespeare.
Freud believed that poets and artists had a special understanding of the human mind. His library also has photos of his wife, Martha Freud, and other important people in his life. The collection also includes a portrait of Freud painted by the famous artist Salvador Dalí.
The museum is an active place for learning. It organizes research, publishes books, and offers seminars and educational visits for students.
See also
In Spanish: Casa Museo Freud (Londres) para niños
- Sigmund Freud Museum (Vienna)
- A Clinical Lesson at the Salpêtrière, 1887 painting by André Brouillet
