Anuarul Român de Psihanaliză Internațională

The Romanian Annual of The International Journal of Psychoanalysis (IJP) began with the aim of bringing to the fore the Romanian view and concerns in psychoanalysis by making available in Romanian annually, a selection of the articles published in the IJP.

This idea arose at a particular and significant point in the evolution of psychoanalysis, namely during the preparations for the celebration of 25 years since its formal recognition. Psychoanalysis in Romania had for many years been an officially denied profession and, consequently, a clandestine one. The period preceding the collapse of Communism in Romania was marked by a tremendous and difficult endeavour of the then Romanian psychoanalysts to support the field they belonged to, proving determination and dedication in that respect. The books contravening the party ideology – thus including psychoanalytic books – were banned. The prohibition, however, did not cover only the books issued in Romanian. It took endless efforts to have such a book enter our territory. Clandestine copies had to be sent to those interested in reading psychoanalytic works which was a very difficult task. Some books were in French, others in English, others in German, depending on the whereabouts of the friends of those left in Romania.

After the fall of Communism, in December 1989, the Psychoanalytic Society, gathering Romanian psychoanalysts as well as psychiatrists and psychologists was founded in early February, 1990, opening up this clandestine discipline which had until then been rooted in the secret psychoanalytic literature entering our country in risky circumstances at that time. Twenty-eight specialists in mental health – an area rendered less fertile by the metapsychological and psychotherapeutic dimensions deemed by the then politicians as subversive, laid the foundation of the first Romanian institution and centred on psychoanalysis. Some of these were practitioners and former analysands themselves.

As it was expected, we then experienced a time of great enthusiasm, collaborative efforts and clarifications. Of the activities initiated and carried on by those pioneers of Romanian psychoanalysis, the search of the relevant books, their translation and, in a relatively tight term, the start of a sustainable editorial work in that direction, took precedence. At the beginning of the ‘90s, two of the founding members of the SRP, both of them psychoanalysts, became editors of the Romanian psychoanalytic literary works, an activity they are still engaged in.

Vasile Dem. Zamfirescu, due to his works issued by Trei Publishing House (1994 – present) and Veronica Sandor, through her works issued by Generatia Foundation Publishing House (1999 – present), two of the first four psychoanalysts IPA members and founding members of the Romanian Study Group (2001), paved the way for reading psychoanalysis and stimulated the interest of the wider Romanian population. This contributed to both increasing the number of individuals who would embrace a career as psychoanalysts and, equally important, to a metamorphoses of the wider social attitude to mental illness, of the relationship with oneself and with others, and by introducing them to the unconscious meanings of the psyche.

In the spirit of the same concern, Veronica Sandor was primary in advocating the idea for and initiating the project of the Romanian Annual; finding again a meeting point for the the views of professionals and of society at large interested in the field.

Making available such a comprehensive source of information, of great professional value and current interest as The International Journal of Psychoanalysis (IJP) in the mother tongue of the people concerned, is a sign of openness to the cultures and schools of psychoanalysis, but moreover, it is a sign of broadening the knowledge perspective, in general, which makes the Romanian Annual project valuable and welcome.

We would like to especially mention Jean-Michel Quinodoz, who greatly supported the idea of initiating a Romanian Annual. His foreword to our first issue was as gratifying and encouraging as it was decisive in carrying on our endeavour. We extend our gratitude to the Editor-in-Chief of the European Annuals, Nilufer Erdem, the Editor-in-Chief of IJP, Dana Birksted-Breen, as well as to the President of the Romanian Society of Psychoanalysis, under the auspices of which The Romanian Annual of The International Journal of Psychoanalysis is issued, for their trust, support and guidance all the way.

Editor

Gianina Micu (Email: dr_geanina@yahoo.com)

Membrii Colegiului Editorial

Veronica Șandor (Coordinator), Gianina Micu (Editor), Rodica Matei (Secretary), Adriana Nicolae, Gabriela Măgureanu, Bogdan Sebastian Cuc , Anatoli Eduard Reghintovschi