The Freud family fled Austria as refugees in June 1938, three months after Hitler annexed the country. Only after Anna faced Gestapo interrogation was her father finally persuaded to leave Vienna – the coat in which he left is on permanent display at the house – and the family escaped to London, settling in Hampstead at 20 Maresfield Gardens.
Anna, who became a pioneering child psychologist, continued to live in the family home until her death in 1982. In July 1986, according to her wishes, it opened as a permanent museum, with the entire contents of her father’s study and library left intact.
The exhibition will run alongside lectures and other activities planned for the anniversary year. The museum also recently announced plans to develop the Freuds’ beloved garden into a mental health refuge.
By Diane V Silverthorne
Photos courtesy of the Freud Museum London
40 Objects, 40 Years runs from 19 August 2026 – 14 February 2027. The Freud Museum also hosts a series of events in celebration, starting with a tour of the museum and cake cutting on Tuesday 28 July. freud.org.uk
