Henrietta Gluckman is an imposing woman from a wealthy family in Vienna Austria. After completing medical school, she spent several years as a pupil of Sigmund Freud in her home city. Her outspoken ways and refusal to compromise “scientific principals” led to a break with her mentor, but also got her noticed by the psychological community. She was rapidly promoted to the head of a prestigious Sanitarium in Salzburg, Gluckman received international acclaim for the “cure” of a famous Austrian psychopathic killer. Afraid of how the winds were blowing in central Europe, Gluckman eagerly accepted the post as head of The Arkham State Sanitarium when the positioned opened last year.

Dr. Gluckman is all-business. If it doesn't have to do with psychology, she isn't interested and is often heard to retort “Zat is of no Zientific Interest.” Her novel treatments consist of long sessions of psychoanalysis, after the patient has been given doses of heroin. The next day, the patient is given a mild electronic shock, is read back a summary of the previous session and is forced to comment.

There is epic raw hatred between Gluckman and Dr Hans Gruberman of Gotham University, whom she regularly refers to as a “vitchdoctor”.

Dr. Gluckman lives in a newly built house on Arkham Island near the asylum.