Ðîäèëñÿ â Âåíå 26 ìàðòà 1905 ãîäà, óìåð 2 ñåíòÿáðÿ 1997 ãîäà òàì æå. Àâñòðèéñêèé ïñèõèàòð è ïñèõîëîã, ïðîôåññîð íåâðîëîãèè è ïñèõèàòðèè Âåíñêîãî óíèâåðñèòåòà (ñ 1955). Ñîçäàòåëü íîâîãî íàïðàâëåíèÿ â ïñèõîòåðàïèè - ëîãîòåðàïèè. Áóäó÷è çàâåäóþùèì îòäåëåíèåì íåâðîëîãèè Ðîòøèëüäîâñêîãî ãîñïèòàëÿ â Âåíå, â 1942 ã. áûë àðåñòîâàí íàöèñòàìè è áðîøåí â êîíöëàãåðü. Âî ìíîãîì èç îñìûñëåíèÿ îïûòà ëàãåðíîé æèçíè ñëîæèëèñü ó Â. Ôðàíêëà îñíîâíûå èäåè åãî ëîãîòåðàïèè (îò äðåâíåãðå÷. "ëîãîñ" - ñìûñë), â öåíòðå êîòîðîé ñòîèò çàäà÷à ïîìî÷ü ÷åëîâåêó â åãî ïîèñêàõ ñìûñëà æèçíè. Ëîãîòåðàïèÿ êàê îäíî èç âëèÿòåëüíûõ íàïðàâëåíèé ñîâðåìåííîé çàðóáåæíîé ïñèõîòåðàïèè çàíèìàåò â íåé îñîáîå ïîëîæåíèå, ïðîòèâîñòîÿ, ñ îäíîé ñòîðîíû, îðòîäîêñàëüíîìó ïñèõîàíàëèçó, à ñ äðóãîé - ïîâåäåí÷åñêîé ïñèõîòåðàïèè, Êîíöåïöèÿ ëè÷íîñòè, ñëîæèâøàÿñÿ â ðàìêàõ ëîãîòåðàïèè, ïî ìíîãèì ñâîèì ìîòèâàì áëèçêà ñîâðåìåííîé ãóìàíèñòè÷åñêîé ïñèõîëîãèè (À. Ìàñëîó, Ã. Îëïîðò, Ê. Ðîäæåðñ è äð.).
Ñî÷èíåíèÿ:
The Doctor and the Sopul: From Psychotherapy to logotherapy(1955); From Death-Camp to Existentialism (1959); Man's Search for Meaning (1962); An Introduction to logotherapy (1963); Psychotherapy and Existentialism (1967); Èçäàòåëü (ñîâì. ñ V. E. von Gebsattel, J. H. Schultz) Encyclopaedia of Psychotherapeuties (5 vols).