Dr. Fanny Hoppe-Moser’s dominant interest was in scientific research into paranormal (‘occult’) phenomena. In her will, she bequeathed part of her estate to the IGPP, together with the request that prizes be awarded for outstanding work in her fields of research.
Dr. Fanny Moser (1872-1953) was one of the first women to study medicine and natural sciences in Freiburg, Zurich and Munich and received her doctorate in 1902 with a zoological thesis. In 1914, she took part in an occult meeting and witnessed a spectacular table levitation that shook her scientific world view. In the decades that followed, Fanny Moser, drawing on a unique collection of sources and a research library, undertook a critical review and reappraisal of the entire field of mesmerism, hypnotism, spiritualism, occultism and early parapsychological research up to the 1930s, which led to the publication of her main work “Okkultismus – Täuschungen und Tatsachen” (Occultism – Deceptions and Facts, Munich 1935, reprint 1977). Together with her second major book published in 1950, “Spuk – Irrglaube oder Wahrglaube? Eine Frage der Menschheit” (poltergeist phenomena – misconception or true belief? A question of mankind, Zurich, 1950; reprint 1977), Fanny Moser left behind two major works on German-language parapsychological research from a historical perspective. Both works have now been digitized and are freely accessible via the Freiburg University Library.
Occultism - Deceptions and Facts
Poltergeist Phenomena - Misconception or True Belief?
In her will, Fanny Moser stipulated that a foundation be set up to establish and secure research in the tradition of her two works and entrusted this task to the pioneer of academic parapsychological research after the Second World War, the Freiburg psychology professor Hans Bender (1907-1991), and to the IGPP, which he founded in 1950. Fanny Moser thus became the first patron of IGPP, and her legacy enabled the Institute’s research and advisory work to continue within a limited framework for decades. The will also stipulated that a prize should be awarded regularly for the “best work” on the research topics she had worked on. This prize was awarded for the first time in 1982 to Dipl.-Psych. Eberhard Bauer. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of IGPP in 2020, the testamentary disposition was taken up again.
The next Fanny Moser Prize is to be awarded in 2025 to mark the 75th anniversary of IGPP.
List of previous Fanny Moser Prize Winners
2023
Dr. Eveline Szarka (2022): Sinn für Gespenster – Spukphänomene in der reformierten Schweiz (1570-1730).
Award Ceremony on June 23, 2023, Freiburg University Library
2020
Walach, H., Horan, M., Hinterberger, T., & von Lucadou, W. (2020): Evidence for anomalistic correlations between human behavior and a random event generator: Result of an independent replication of a micro-PK experiment.
Article published in: Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice, 7(2), 173-188.
1983
Eberhard Bauer for his work as an advisor, researcher and editor in succession to Fanny Moser.
Eberhard Bauer (left) with Hans Bender
Journal of Parapsychology and Frontier Areas of Psychology, 1970
Spectrum of Parapsychology, 1983
