Epistemologies of Alienation: Detours of Gestalt Theory through Exile and Resistance (1930–1960)
Felix Brieden’s project traces the reconfigurations of Gestalt theory—one of the most influential currents in twentieth-century psychology—through political exile and colonial critique.
The research investigates how experiences of displacement and alienation reshaped psychological knowledge, while simultaneously examining Gestalt theory as an epistemic resource that transformed institutional, political, and technological practices.
While the emergence of the Berlin School and its continuation in the United States have been studied, its political detours within Europe—from laboratories to networks of resistance—remain largely unexplored. By comparing the work of psychologist Werner Wolff and psychiatrist Frantz Fanon, Felix argues that Gestalt theory’s expulsion in 1933 marked a radical transformation of its knowledge and application. These epistemic shifts were inseparable from the conditions of exile and alienation, and unfolded in dialogue with contemporary media practices.
Drawing on approaches from the history of knowledge, critical psychiatry, and media studies, the project reconstructs a neglected chapter in the political history of psychology. The research is based on archival work conducted in Europe and the United States.
Felix holds an MA in Media Studies from Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, for which he received the 2025 University Prize. Before joining the IMPRS, he was a fellow of the Thüringer Graduiertenförderung and worked with several research groups.