Fromms Leben und Werk

Erich Pinchas Fromm wurde am 23. März 1900 als einziges Kind des orthodoxjüdischen Obstweinkaufmanns Naphtali Fromm und seiner Frau Rosa, einer geborenen Krause, in Frankfurt am Main geboren. Die Mutter Fromms entstammte einer Familie russischer Emigranten, die in Finnland zum Judentum konvertierten. Sein Urgroßvater war der "Würzburger Raw' Seligmann Bär Bamberger, der im 19. Jahrhundert einer der bekanntesten Rabbiner des deutschen Judentums war. Die Stimmigkeit des religiösen, jüdischen Lebens beeindruckte den jungen Fromm tief. Da auch sein Großvater Rabbi und sein Onkel mütterlicherseits Talmudforscher waren, war Fromms Interesse für die "mittelalterliche', vorkapitalistische Welt des orthodoxen Judentums vorgezeichnet. Der Talmud und Halacha, das gesetzestreue Handeln, war wichtiger als das Geldverdienen. Diese religiöse Existenz, die der Vater beispielhaft vorlebte, beeinflusste Fromm zeitlebens, sogar in seinem Tagesablauf. Der Morgen war dem Studium, der Meditation, der Reflexion vorbehalten, erst nachmittags begann die (therapeutische) Arbeit.

Fromm was born in Frankfurt in 1900 as the son of an Jewish wine merchant. During his life he was influenced by various essential impulses both theoretical ones and those envoked by personal experiences. The first essential impuls originated from his family-background, his education and his religious socialisation. This was expressed by a negative theology and a mystically ecstatic view of life. Psychoanalysis and a sociologically Marxist orientated social psychology influenced his joining and working in the Institute of Social Research in Frankfurt, which led to the combined creativity between himself and Horkheimer. After personal and theoretical differences the Institute and Fromm parted during their exile in the USA. Afterwards, Fromms individual approach, the "Analytic Social Psychology,' became known through his book "Escape from Freedom'. Hardly any contact took place during the following years. Polemics and misunderstandings prevented any productive communication, which would have been possible during the preparations for the symposium "Socialist Humanism'. Fromms revision of psychoanalysis and the humanistic interpretation of Marxism was only accepted by a minority, whilst its relevance still awaits thorough scientific research. However in the face of the desolate situation of the left and growing risks in modern society, one cannot dispense with Fromms contribution to the humanisation of society.