Emma Jung (born Emma Marie Rauschenbach, 30 March 1882 – 27 November 1955) was a Swiss Jungian analyst and author. She married Carl Jung, financing and helping him to become the prominent psychiatrist and founder of analytical psychology, and together they had five children. She was his "intellectual editor" to the end of her life.[1] After her death, Jung is said to have described her as "a Queen".
Emma Rauschenbach was the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, Johannes Rauschenbach, the then owner of IWC Schaffhausen.[2] At the time of her marriage she was the second-richest heiress in Switzerland.[3]
Emma Rauschenbach first met C. G. Jung in 1896 when she was still a schoolgirl, through a connection of his mother. Jung reported at the time that he knew then that one day Emma would be his wife. The couple married on 14 February 1903, seven years later. They had five children (four daughters and one son):[4]
Agathe Niehus, born on December 28, 1904
Gret Baumann, born on February 8, 1906
Franz Jung-Merker, born on November 28, 1908
Marianne Niehus, born on September 20, 1910
Helene Hoerni, born on March 18, 1914
Upon her father's death in 1905, Emma and her sister, together with their husbands, became owners of IWC Schaffhausen - the International Watch Company, manufacturers of luxury time-pieces. Emma's brother-in-law became the principal proprietor, but the Jungs remained shareholders in a thriving business that ensured the family's financial security for decades.[2]
Emma Jung not only took a strong interest in her husband's work, but assisted him and became a noted analyst in her own right. She developed a particular focus on the Grail. She had a brief correspondence of her own with Sigmund Freud, during 1910–11.[5] In 1906, Freud interpreted several of Jung's dreams of the period as portending the "failure of a marriage for money" (das Scheitern einer Geldheirat).[6]
On the Nature of the Animus and The Anima as an Elemental Being.[edit]
Animus and Anima is a book published with two of Emma Jung's essays that correlated with her husband's work. The essay "On the Nature of the Animus and the Anima" explores the concepts of animus and anima in Jungian psychology. She delves into the roles these archetypal elements play in the psyche, particularly focusing on their influence on the relationships between men and women. The animus represents the masculine aspects within the female psyche, while the anima represents the feminine aspects within the male psyche. Emma Jung also includes a discussion on how understanding and integrating these aspects can contribute to psychological wholeness and improved interpersonal dynamics.
In "The Anima as an Elemental Being," Emma Jung expands on the anima concept, presenting it as an elemental being that embodies powerful and transformative forces. She explores the symbolic and mythological dimensions of the anima, emphasizing its connection to the natural world and the unconscious. The essay delves into the diverse manifestations of the anima, highlighting its potential for both creative inspiration and destructive chaos. Jung suggests that recognizing and engaging with the anima in its elemental form can lead to a deeper understanding of the psyche and facilitate personal growth.[1]
Emma died in 1955, predeceasing Carl Jung by almost six years. After her death from a recurrence of cancer, he carved a stone in her name, "She was the foundation of my house". He is also said to have wailed, "She was a queen! She was a queen!" ("Sie war eine Königin! Sie war eine Königin!") as he grieved for her. Her gravestone was inscribed: "Oh vase, sign of devotion and obedience."[7]
Lázaro Droznes (2015). Jung in Love. Unitexto. Digital Publishing. ISBN978-1-63339-970-9.
Catrine Clay (2016). Labyrinths: Emma Jung, her Marriage to Carl and the early Years of Psychoanalysis. HarperCollins. ISBN978-0-0075106-6-5. The book was featured as Book of the WeekonBBC Radio 4 2–6 January 2017 in 5 episodes, read by Deborah Findlay and Henry Goodman.
(in German)C. G. Jungs drei "Hauptfrauen" This is a private website run by a couple of psychologists in Erlangen, Germany. There is no way of knowing whether it has any accreditation or independent standing.
