Abstract
[The Latency Period, a Study of the Foundations of the Concept in the Work of S. Freud]
Since the very existence of a so-called “latency period” (assuming the infantile sexuality to be latent between the ages from 6 to 11) is a very controversial issue, this study aims at uncovering the roots of the concept in the work of S. Freud. In this article. Freuds writings before 1905 arc scrutinized, as well as the publications by Wilhelm Fliess. from whom Freud in 1905 said to have borrowed the terms "latency period”. Some links between Freuds notion and the work of Fliess could be demonstrated.