The International Society of the Rorschach
The International Society of the Rorschach and Projective Methods (ISR) was founded on September 13, 1952 in Berne (Switzerland) by the Assembly of Delegates to the Second International Congress of the Rorschach. The idea had been launched in 1949 during the First International Rorschach Meeting. The first Executive Board was composed of Walter Morgenthaler (Bern), Marguerite Loosli-Usteri (Geneva), who were Presidents, and Samuel J. Beck (Chicago), Ewald Bohm (Copenhagen), Andrè Ombredane (Brussels) and Carlo Rizzo (Rome) who were Vice-Presidents. Adolph Friedemann (Freiburg) was the Secretary and Hans Huber, Jr. was the Treasurer. This team, elected for a six-year term, certainly reflected the variety and scope of interests of that time and demonstrated from the start its openness to the world and to the methods of psychodiagnosis. Following Loosli-Usteri, Robert Heiss, Adolph Friedemann, Kenower W. Bash, six distinguished individuals have served as presidents of the Society: Nina Rausch de Traubenberg, John Exner, Jr., Irving B. Weiner, Anne Andronikof, Bruce L. Smith and presently Noriko Nakamura.
During the past decade efforts have been undertaken to enhance the effectiveness of the Society. They began with the insightful perceptions of the former President, K.W. Bash, who sought major revisions in the statutes and procedures. His initiative has been continued by our former Presidents, Nina Rausch de Traubenberg, John Exner, Jr., Irving B. Weiner, Anne Andronikof and Bruce L.Smith.
The Bulletin reflects one of the products of those efforts. Since 1990 it has been published annually. With Volume 18, 1993, the establishment of Rorschachiana as an annual journal of contributions from around the world was a significant new step in enhancing global communication about the test. These elegantly presented yearbooks have become an invaluable forum enhancing international development and training regarding the Rorschach and other projective techniques.
At present national Rorschach societies or groups exist in the following countries: Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, Peru, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States. Together with the group of the Individual Members, the International Society of the Rorschach and Projective Methods now consists of more than 2800 members throughout the world.
