These then were the cumulative factors at work in Reich’s decision to move to
Berlin: his strained relations with his Viennese colleagues and the opportunity to work in
Berlin with more analysts who shared his social concerns; the political weakness of the
Austrian radical left versus the strong German Communist Party (with over 4 million mem-
bers); and a better opportunity to pursue his personal analysis in Berlin. What is also inter-
esting is that no matter how constrained Reich felt within the psychoanalytic organization,
no matter how great the frictions in his marriage, and no matter how weary he could become
of political struggles, he left for Berlin without intending any major break in his life. He
planned to join the Berlin Psychoanalytic Society, to have Annie and the children follow him
once he was settled, and to become a member of the German Communist Party. He want-
ed to enlarge his existence while still maintaining the basic contours of its professional and
personal design.
12 : Personal Life and Relations with Colleagues: 1927-1930 153