“Dear Friends”: A Thematic Overview of Rudolf Dreikurs’s Circular Letters Written in 1954–1971

Abstract:This article attempts to broaden readers’ knowledge of Rudolf Dreikurs’s life and professional activities from 1954 to 1971 based on circular letters he wrote to his colleagues. In the letters, currently kept at the Manuscript Division of the U.S. Library of Congress, Dreikurs described his travels, filled with training and teachings, meetings with people, sightseeing, and observations, in at least 10 U.S. states and 20 other countries. The authors identify and explore themes in the letters, including his concerns with major geopolitical crises, his attention to social problems within and between countries, and his work to preserve and maintain the Adlerian movement. The authors demonstrate how these themes align with Dreikurs’s legacy. The article allows readers to get to know Rudolf Dreikurs on a more intimate and personal level.