Published: 13th July 2007
The term 'masochism', named after Leopold Ritter von Sacher-Masoch, will be known by many, as will be the term 'sadism', named after the Marquis de Sade. Both terms are commonly so closely linked (known as sado-masochism; a more recent term is BDSM) that people sometimes confuse the persons behind these terms and have poor Sacher-Masoch die in Charenton Lunatic Asylum, France - a place where de Sade allegedly spent the last years of his life nearly a century before. Most people will probably at least have a vague idea what masochism is. However, not quite as many people know who coined the term and/or have heard of the man who involuntarily served as the inspiration.
