Sylva Macharová was born on December 5, 1898 in Prague, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. She was one of the first women in the Czech Republic to earn a doctoral degree in psychology, which she received in 1927 from the Charles University in Prague. Macharová was also one of the first women in the world to conduct research on human sexuality.
While at the Charles University, Macharová studied with some of the leading figures in European psychology, including Sigmund Freud and Karl Bühler. Freud was impressed with Macharová’s work, and he invited her to join his Vienna psychoanalytic society. However, Macharová ultimately decided to return to Prague, where she established her own psychoanalytic practice.
Macharová’s work focused on the psychological effects of sexual repression. She argued that sexual repression could lead to a variety of psychological problems, including anxiety, depression, and neurosis. Macharová also conducted research on male and female sexuality, and she was one of the first researchers to study the differences between the two sexes.
Macharová’s work was highly influential, and she was recognized as one of the leading psychologists of her time. She was the president of the Czech Psychoanalytic Society from 1946 to 1948, and she served as the editor-in-chief of the Czech journal Psychoanalytické studie from 1945 to 1948. Macharová also published several books, including Psychoanalytická studie o sexuálním životě muže (Psychoanalytic Study of the Sexual Life of Men, 1930), Psychoanalytická studie o sexuálním životě ženy (Psychoanalytic Study of the Sexual Life of Women, 1933), and Psychoanalytická studie o dětech (Psychoanalytic Study of Children, 1938).
Sylva Macharová died on October 5, 1980. She was a pioneer in the field of psychology, and her work has had a significant impact on the development of the field.