The German Psychoanalytical Society (DPG) on its way into the IPA. Wish and Ambivalence. - The author describes from his own perspective the turbulent process instituted by the substantive and organizational changes to the German Psychoanalytical Society ("Deutsche Psychoanalytische Gesellschaft", DPG) in the final 30 years leading to the reincorporation of the Society into the IPA. This development was only made possible by engagement with the history of psychoanalysis in the Nazi period. It cannot be properly understood without consideration of the circumstances accompanying the abortive re-establishment of the DPG in 1945, which culminated in the division into two societies in 1950/51. The exclusion of the DPG from international psychoanalytic discourse led to a form of scientific and personal isolation that even encompassed the internal structure of the Society. The author considers personal exchange and ongoing cross-border relations with analysts to be pioneering factors for the changes described. Admission to the IPA was the result of compromises on all sides. However it remained intrinsically fraught with conflict because although the Society was recognized as an offshoot grouping not all of its members acquired personal membership in the IPA. Specific supraregional structures had to be created for analytic training in accordance with IPA guidelines. Parallel to this, analytic training is still offered in line with the DPG standards existing so far ("two-track model").
