Moritz Reizes

Father of psychoanalyst Melanie Klein, Dr Moriz Reizes, came from a strictly orthodox Jewish family, and was supposed to become a rabbi. However, he soon rebelled against orthodoxy, studied in secret, and went to the university, becoming first a doctor, then a dentist.

He divorced his first wife, and at the age of over 40 he fell deeply in love with, and married, Libusa Deutsch, then aged 25. There were four children of the marriage:

• Emily, six years older than Melanie,
• Emmanuel, five years older,
• and Sidonie, about four years older.
• Melanie was the youngest.

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