Toni Wolff (Zurich, 1888 – 1953) was a Swiss Jungian analyst and one of Carl Gustav Jung's closest collaborators. She belonged to the early circle of analytical psychology in Zurich, and she helped Jung identify, define and name concepts such as the anima, the animus and the persona, which became central to his theory.
The eldest of three daughters in a wealthy Zurich family, she wanted a university education, but her father refused. She studied on her own as a non-matriculating student. After her father died in 1909 she fell into a deep depression, and in 1910 she began analysis with Jung, who encouraged her to put her intellect to use. Over time the relationship became intimate. Jung called her his "second wife", while Emma Jung remained his legal wife.
Her best-known essay describes four types, or aspects, of the feminine psyche: the Amazon, the Mother, the Hetaira and the Medial Woman. She served as president of the Psychologischer Club Zürich and helped edit Jung's papers. When the C. G. Jung Institute opened in 1948, she taught training seminars. She died in 1953. Her legacy lies mainly in the growth of analytical psychology and in the way Jung shaped some of his most famous ideas.
Key ideas
- Anima and animus: concepts of the psyche that Wolff helped Jung define and name.
- The four feminine types: the Amazon, the Mother, the Hetaira and the Medial Woman, arranged on a four-part quadrant chart.
- Persona: the social mask through which a person presents themselves to others, another concept she helped shape.
- Psychological types: one of the theoretical areas in which she collaborated with Jung.
Curiosities
Excluded from the family lunch
She worked at Jung's home from late morning until the family lunch, from which she was excluded, and resumed work in the afternoon.
Absent from her memorial
Jung did not attend Wolff's memorial service in 1953. His associate Barbara Hannah cites his health and his grief as the main reasons. Emma Jung attended on behalf of both of them.
A stone with Chinese characters
In her memory, Jung carved a memorial stone reading "Toni Wolff Lotus Nun Mysterious", with the Chinese characters arranged vertically.
Teachers and influences
Influenced by
- Carl Jung 1875–1961
Original Filopedia text based on Wikipedia (es) and Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.