American psychoanalyst

Also known as: Erik H. Erikson, Erik Homburger Erikson

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Last updated

Erik Erikson (born June 15, 1902, Frankfurt am Main, Germany—died May 12, 1994, Harwich, Massachusetts, U.S.) was a German-born American psychoanalyst whose writings on social psychology, individual identity, and the interactions of psychology with history, politics, and culture influenced professional approaches to psychosocial problems and attracted much popular interest. As a young man, Erikson attended art school and traveled around Europe. In 1927, when he was invited by the psychoanalyst Anna Freud to teach art,...

Discover the world with Britannica

Free Trial | No Ads | Exclusive Content

Unsubscribe Anytime!