VARIOUS THINGS ABOUT ALBERT EINSTEIN
Albert Einstein's
nationality
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Albert Einstein became
German citizen with his birth in Ulm (Baden-Wuerttemberg) on March
14, 1879. 17 years later, on January
28, 1896, he was released from the Wuerttemberg and thus the German
citizenship due to his own will and with permission of his father. |
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Einstein stayed stateless
for the next 5 years. |
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On February 21, 1901 he was
given the naturalization of the city of Zurich and thus became a
Swiss citizen. He remained a Swiss citizen until the end of his
life. |
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Einstein’s chair for theoretical physics
at the German University Prague from April 1, 1911 until
September 30, 1912 was connected with obtaining the
Austrian citizenship. |
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Einstein regained the German
citizenship in April 1914 when he entered the German civil service,
among other things as full member of the Prussian Academy of
Sciences and professor at the University of Berlin.
Due to the political power
situation and thus the incidents in Nazi Germany he left civil
service in March 1933 and thus also lost the German citizenship. |
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From 1933–1940 Einstein
only possessed the Swiss citizenship. |
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On October 1, 1940 Einstein
swore the oath on the American constitution and thus became an
American citizen. Now he was a a Swiss and an American citizen and
stayed it until his death on April 18, 1955.
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Naturwissenschaftliche Volksbücher (Scientific Popular
Books)
Because
of Max Talmud (later: Talmey, 1869-1941), a Jewish
medical student, who was invited to the Einstein’s once
a week for dinner (according to a Jewish ritual),
ten-year old Albert already devoted himself to
scientific and philosophical writings, among others to
Ludwig Büchner's Kraft und Stoff and Humboldt's
Kosmos – Entwurf einer physischen Weltbeschreibung.
Talmud also recommended him the multivolume work
Naturwissenschaftliche Volksbücher (Scientific Popular
Books) by Aaron Bernstein (1812-1884), which became
one of his favorite readings. „He devoured this kind of
literature like other boys devour books about Indians“,
wrote Rudolf Kayser, Einstein's son-in-law, under the
pseudonym Anton Reiser in his Einstein biography
Albert Einstein - A Biographical Portrait –
published in 1930.
The
Naturwissenschaftliche Volksbücher (Scientific Popular
Books) treated basic matters and questions of
science in a popular science attitude. The questioning
style used by Bernstein is remarkable. Can a ray of
light be overtaken? What weighs the earth? Does the
earth rotate evenly?
Maybe
animated by this reading, the first questions already
came to the mind of young Einstein, too, which should
later on keep him busy in the development of his
theories. Thus in Reiser's book it reads: „Thus in him
grew the deep worship of nature, its secrets and laws.
The key to his future research can be found in these
experiences.“
Aged 67,
Albert Einstein remembered this time and the
Naturwissenschaftliche Volksbücher (Scientific Popular
Books).
„In this process
I was lucky to find books, which took liberties with
logical strength, however, let the main thoughts emerge
clearly. This occupation was on the whole really
fascinating; there were climaxes, whose impression could
well match with elemental geometry – the basic thought
of analytical geometry, the unlimited series, the
concepts of differential and integral. I was also lucky
to get to know the crucial results and methods of all
science in a magnificently popular presentation, almost
totally limited to quality (Bernstein's scientific
popular books, a work comprising 5 or 6 volumes), a
work, which I read with breathless excitement.“
It has to
be mentioned that the fourth edition of the
Naturwissenschaftliche Volksbücher (Scientific Popular
Books) of 1880 consisted of 20 parts. One "volume"
comprised several parts.
The
Naturwissenschaftliche Volksbücher (Scientific Popular
Books) were published in several editions. The three
pictures show the front page and the content of part 8
(1880) of the popular scientific series, which Einstein
read as pupil „with breathless excitement“.
Illustrations Credits:
Hans-Josef Küpper
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Bibliography:
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| Anton Reiser |
Albert Einstein - A
Biographical Portrait |
New York 1930 |
| Aaron Bernstein |
Naturwissenschaftliche Volksbücher |
Berlin 1880 |
| Editor P. A. Schilpp |
Albert Einstein als
Philosoph und Naturforscher |
Braunschweig 1983 |
| Editors John Stachel, u.a. |
The Collected Papers of
Albert Einstein, Volume 1 |
Princeton 1987 |
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The
two "wonders"
When
you look into the biography of Albert Einstein you will find in the
description of his teenage years some hints pointing to two
"wonders". These two "wonders" – the encounter with a compass
and a geometry book have strongly influenced his further way
of life.
Little
Albert encountered the first "wonder" when his father showed him a
compass that deeply impressed him.
At the
age of 67 Albert Einstein remembered these incidents in his
"Nekrolog" ("Autobiographic Writings") which he wrote for the book
"Albert Einstein as philosopher and scientist" which was published
by Paul Arthur Schilpp.
About
the compass, the first "wonder", he wrote:
"I
encountered a wonder of such a kind as a child of 4 or 5 years when
my father showed me a compass. That this needle behaved in such a
determined way did not fit into the way of incidents at all which
could find a place in the unconscious vocabulary of concepts (action
connected with “touch”). I still remember – or I think I do – that
this incident has left with me a deep impression. There must have
been something behind things that was deeply hidden. To things which
man sees from childhood on in front of him he does not respond to in
such a way, he does not wonder about the falling of bodies, about
wind and rain, not about the moon nor about the moon not falling
down and not about the difference between the animate and
inanimate."
About
his "holy geometry book", the second "wonder", he wrote:
"At the age of 12 I experienced a second wonder of a very different
kind: a booklet dealing with Euclidean plane geometry that came into
my hands at the beginning of a school year. Here were assertions, as
for example the intersection of the three altitudes of a triangle in
one point which - though by no means evident - could never-the-less
be proved with such certainty that any doubt appeared to be out of
the question. This lucidity and certainty made an indescribable
impression on me. That the axioms could not be proved did not annoy
me. Actually I was completely satisfied when I was able to rely on
such theorems whose validity were not doubtful to me.
I
remember for example that my uncle told me about Pythagoras’ Theorem
before the holy geometry book came to my hands. After hard work I
succeeded in "proving" this theorem due to the similarity of
triangles; thereby it seemed "evident" to me, that the relations of
the sides of a rectangular triangle must be completely defined by an
acute angle. Only what did not seem "evident" to me in a similar way
seemed to need evidence. Also the things that geometry is about did
not seem to be of another kind than the things of sensual
perception, “which could be seen and touched”."
Today
it cannot be said with certainty which book is Einstein’s "holy
geometry book". There are three different titles that come into
question:
Theodor Spieker,
1890
Lehrbuch der ebenen
Geometrie. Mit Übungsaufgaben für höhere Lehranstalten.
Heinrich Borchert
Lübsen, 1870
Ausführliches
Lehrbuch der ebenen und sphärischen Trigonometrie. Zum
Selbstunterricht. Mit Rücksicht auf die Zwecke
des praktischen Lebens.
Adolf Sickenberger,
1888
Leitfaden der
elementaren Mathematik.
Young
Albert Einstein owned all of these three books. The book by T.
Spieker was given to him by Max Talmud (later: Talmey), a Jewish
medic. The book by H. B. Lübsen was from the library of his uncle
Jakob Einstein and the one of A. Sickenberger was from his parents.
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Bibliography:
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| Editor P. A. Schilpp |
Albert Einstein als
Philosoph und Naturforscher |
Braunschweig 1983 |
| Editors: J. Stachel, a.o. |
The Collected Papers of
Albert Einstein, Volume 1 |
Princeton 1987 |
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Albert
Einstein's IQ
Time and again the following
question is posed: "What was Albert Einstein’s IQ?"
The intelligence quotient
(IQ) is a measuring instrument for intellectual talent. The term was
coined by the German psychologist and philosopher Wilhelm Stern
(1871-1938) in 1912. The IQ is determined by the intelligence age
(I A) in relation to the life age (L A) of the respective person. In
standardized tests (IQ-tests), in which the general intelligence is
tested, the I A is determined. The IQ can thus be calculated with
the formula IQ = (I A/L A)*100. The analysis is done with the help
of IQ scales which can, however, differ from each other. Thus the
Americans for example use scales which admit IQ values of far more
than 200. Thus the mean value of most scales is an IQ of 100. This
value represents a normal talent. When indicating the respective IQ
the used IQ scale which was used has to be indicated, too.
Example of an IQ scale:
| IQ |
Intelligence
grade |
| over 140 |
excellent |
| 120-139 |
very good |
| 110-119 |
good |
| 90-109 |
average,
normal talent |
| 80-89 |
low |
| 70-79 |
very low |
| under 69 |
extremely
low |
Now back to the question
that was mentioned in the beginning concerning Einstein’s IQ.
As far as we known today,
Albert Einstein has never done any IQ test. Thus his IQ is unknown!
In the 20ies scientists had
tried to estimate the IQ of deceased personalities such as Mozart
(1756-1791) and Goethe (1749-1832) by means of biographic data; thus they wanted to estimate
Albert Einstein’s IQ, too. The value estimated for Einstein was
between 160 and 180. But this rough estimation can not count
as Einstein’s IQ!
Children also wanted to know
Einstein’s IQ. Thus a ten-year-old girl wrote a letter to Einstein
at the end of the 40ies which said:
"…I’m
writing to you because my cousin and I had a bet. He said you had
175 in entiledgence. And I said you had 190. Which one of us is
right. … My inteligence is 145."
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Bibliography:
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| Alice Calaprice |
Dear Professor Einstein
Albert Einstein's letters to and from children |
New York 2002 |
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A picture goes around the world – Einstein’s tongue
Who doesn’t know the black
and white picture with the head of Albert Einstein, on which he
sticks out his tongue to the respective observer. The picture which
was taken in 1951, is still present on the front pages of magazines,
on posters and t-shirts.
When and where was this
picture taken?
It was taken on Einstein’s
72nd birthday in Princeton on March 14, 1951 by a press
photographer (Arthur Sasse). The original picture shows Einstein sitting on the
backseat of a car between Dr Frank Aydelotte, the former head of the
Institute for Advanced Study, and his wife.
Why did Einstein stick out his tongue to the
photographer?
Albert Einstein and the
Aydelottes were just returning from an event which had taken place
in honour of Einstein. Einstein was, though already sitting in the
car, still bullied by reporters and photographers. They didn’t let
him be and he is said to have shouted: "That’s enough, that’s
enough!" However, these words didn’t hinder the photographers from
taking some more pictures of Einstein and his companions. And when
he still was asked to pose for a birthday picture he really grew
tired of the journalists and the photographers and as encouraging
words didn’t help any more, he stuck out his tongue to his
"prosecutors". The photographer Arthur Sasse pressed the button of his
camera in just this moment.
Einstein liked the picture
very much. He cut it into shape so only he can still be seen. Then
he had made several copies of it and sent the thus "manipulated"
picture as a greeting card to friends later on.
In this form we know it
today and though it isn’t shown here the reader clearly remembers
the picture with Einstein’s tongue.
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President of the State of Israel
Chaim
Weizmann
(1874-1952), one of the co-founders of the State of Israel, became
its first president in 1948. He died on November 9 in 1952.
After Weizmann’s death
Albert Einstein was asked to stand as a candidate for the presidency
of Israel. The idea came from the editor of the biggest Israeli
newspaper. The Israeli government then decided to offer Einstein
this office and the Israeli minister-president David Ben Gurion
(1886-1973) ordered his ambassador to the US in Washington, Abba
Eban (1915-2002) to ask Einstein in Princeton whether he wanted
to take over the office. In the telegram to Abba Eban it said among
other things: "[...] Please find out
immediately whether Einstein would accept the election (by
parliament) to be Israeli president. [...] Please telegraph his
answer immediately. Ben Gurion."
Before the offer of the
ambassador reached the 73-year-old Albert Einstein in Princeton,
Mercer Street 112, there was already a great disquiet in the
household. Einstein had already been informed about the offer to
become president of the State of Israel by the New York Times.
There were subsequently many phone calls from people who wanted to
know whether he would accept the offer. The telegram of the
ambassador arrived in Mercer Street 112 on the evening of November
17 in 1952. Einstein was very excited and he found the offer
unpleasant. He considered how to tell the ambassador he wanted to
decline the offer and decided not to send a telegram but to phone
the ambassador in Washington directly. In this conversation Einstein
declined the offer in a friendly way and deeply moved. The
ambassador asked Einstein for a written statement. Einstein
fulfilled this request. In a letter which he wrote the next morning
he formulated his decline. Among other things he wrote:
"I am deeply moved by the offer from
our State of Israel (to serve as President), and at once saddened
and ashamed that I cannot accept it. All my life I have dealt with
objective matters, hence I lack both the natural aptitude and the
experience to deal properly with people and to exercise official
functions. Therefore I would also be an inappropriate candidate for
this high task, even when my old age didn’t interfere with my forces
more and more. [...] … I wish from the bottom of my heart that a man
is found who will be able to take over the hard and responsible
office due to his work and his personality."
Einstein’s letter was handed
over to Abba Eban by an Israeli legate who had collected the letter
in Mercer Street.
As successor to Chaim
Weizmann the Israeli politician Jitzchak Ben Zwi (1884-1963)
was elected second president of the State of Israel. In 1957 and
1962 he was re-elected. Ben Zwi died during his third period in
office on April 23, 1963.
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Bibliography:
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| Albert Einstein |
Aus meinen späten Jahren |
Frankfurt on the Main 1986 |
| Abraham Pais |
Ich vertraue auf
Intuition. Der andere Albert Einstein |
Heidelberg 1995 |
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Einstein’s written
heritage
In his will from March 18,
1950 Albert Einstein left his whole written heritage to the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which can today be found in the
Albert Einstein Archives in Jerusalem. Duplicates of the
Jerusalem Einstein Archives are in Boston, in Princeton and in
Zurich (ETH). Smaller collections of Einstein documents are for
example in the Leo-Baeck-Institute in New York, in the “Staatsarchiv
Preußischer Kulturbesitz” (State Archive of the Prussian Cultural
Heritage) in Berlin and in the California Institute of
Technology in Pasadena.
At the time of his death
Einstein’s written heritage consisted of about 14.000 documents. The
two personal representatives Dr. Otto Nathan (1893-1987) and
Helen Dukas (1896-1982) could expand this number from 1955 to 1982 to about
42.000 documents. However, they are mostly xeroxes or transcripts
and today you can be sure that the respective originals are in the
possession of the original receiver or their families as well as
collectors of autographs.
The
Albert Einstein Archives
in Jerusalem owns today about 55.000 archive documents from which
about 10.000, partly in handwritten form, are from Einstein himself.
The other documents are copies or transcripts of Einstein’s
originals as well as letters, manuscripts, etc. which Einstein has
received.
The number of contemporaries
with which Einstein corresponded, is hard to estimate. According to
the Jerusalem Einstein Archives there are about 570 known and
important names of scientists and far more than 200 non-scientific
ones Einstein exchanged letters with. This category includes, among
other persons, crowned heads, politicians, writers and artists.
Einstein had also uncountable writing contacts with unknown or
scientifically interested persons or people looking for help and
with children.
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The
"Komische Mappe"
In Albert Einstein’s written
heritage there is a more inconspicuously seeming map – the "Komische Mappe".
What is this map about? It was probably started by Einstein’s
secretary Helen
Dukas and it is a
collection of some hundred written documents among other things with
congratulations, requests for help, pensive comments, crazy remarks
or remarks full of hate as well as some more or less failed attempts
of scientific essays of unknown persons. With some written documents
also the respective envelopes are preserved. In some cases only the
envelopes have been kept. Einstein surely has not answered all of
the letters, telegrams, etc. of the "Komische Mappe" and from those
he did answer, there exists only seldom a copy. If the content of
single letters offended Einstein too much, the letter did not even
find its way into the "Komische Mappe" but was thrown away directly.
Let us have a quick look
into Einstein’s "Komische Mappe".
Here is a little selection
of envelopes:
"To the
beloved Albert Einstein, professor and legate of God and servant of
mankind."
"Mr
Einstein, The atomic scientist, U.S.A."
"EINSTEIN, U.S.A."
It is very astonishing
indeed that these envelopes have arrived at Einstein’s address!
To the letters, telegrams
and other written documents:
"…You
and me, Ernie, we know, that the Earth is no longer round, but
flat…"
"…Stop
immediately calling space bent!"
"…When
one day, one week or another unit of time has passed, where has it
gone?…"
"…Please
tell me whether you have to study physics to prolong life. …"
"…I
would like to show him (a relative) a picture in which you
help Mrs Einstein washing the dishes. I would be extremely grateful
if you could send me one. …"
The
"Komische Mappe" as well
as the entire written heritage of Albert Einstein can today be found
in the Albert Einstein Archives
in Jerusalem.
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Bibliography:
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| Abraham Pais |
Ich vertraue auf
Intuition. Der andere Albert Einstein |
Heidelberg 1995 |
| Ze'ev Rosenkranz |
The Einstein scrapbook |
Baltimore 2002 |
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The Riverside
Church in New York, USA
In New York, 490 Riverside
Drive, directly on Hudson River stands the Riverside Church which
was built in 1929. The financial means for the protestant church
were made available by John D. Rockefeller Jr.
The gothic bell tower has a
height of 120 m and from there you have a nice view on Upper
Manhattan. In this bell tower there is the biggest carillon in the
world. It consists of 74 bells! The hour bell weighs 20 tons and is
the biggest and heaviest tuned bell ever manufactured. In the
interior of the church there is among many sculptures, paintings and
other sacred objetes d’art also the organ. It consists of 22000
pipes, makes a beautiful sound and is one of the biggest organs in
the world.
The interior and the outer
facades of the church are decorated with many sculptures. On the
outer façade the sculptures of great scholars of all times and
peoples are to be seen, too. When deciding which scholar should he
hewn in stone, also Albert Einstein’s name was mentioned.
However, due to various reasons Einstein’s sculpture was heavily
debated. Only after a survey with famous scientists in America they
also decided for him. Thus Einstein was immortalized at the west
portal of the Riverside Church next to personalities such as Euclid,
Pythagoras, Archimedes, Galileo,
Kepler, Newton, Faraday, Darwin and
Pasteur, to only mention a few.
In 1930, during a stay in
New York, Albert Einstein and his wife visited the Riverside Church,
too. During the detailed guided tour through the church Einstein was
also shown the sculptures at the west portal. He was told that only
one of the sculptures there represented a living person, and that
was he himself. What Einstein is supposed to have thought in that
moment when he heard that information and saw himself immortalized
in stone? Contemporaries reported that he looked at the sculpture
calmly and thoughtfully. But it would also be thinkable that there
was a mischievous smile on his face and an ironic remark.
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West portal |
West portal –
excerpt |
West portal -
Einstein sculpture - upper line, second of right |
The Riverside Church, one of
many sights in New York, can be visited. The carillon plays many
times a day. The bell tower is available to visitors, too. But you
have to consider that the bells don’t ring when you stand up there
on the bell tower and enjoy the beautiful view, because they are very loud.
When visiting the church you
should stop for a moment at the west portal to have a look at the
great persons of this world hewn in stone, here, however, especially
Albert Einstein.
Illustrations Credits:
Courtesy
The
Riverside
Church
, New York, USA
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Albert Einstein and
Albert Schweitzer
Albert Einstein and
Albert
Schweitzer (1875-1965) were kindred spirits and had many things in
common. Both were born in Germany, Schweitzer 4 years before
Einstein. They experienced the empire, the Weimar Republic, Nazi
Germany, two World Wars and the atomic era. In the course of their
lives both received worldwide numerous decorations, prizes and
honorary promotions. Among other things they received the Nobel
Prize (Einstein: Nobel Prize for Physics, 1921; Schweitzer: Nobel
Prize for Peace, 1952) and were bearers of the Ordens Pour le
mérite. After Einstein’s death his secretary
Helen Dukas wrote to
Schweitzer in April 1957: "So many things you say in your letters
could have been from Einstein himself."
Albert Einstein and Albert
Schweitzer incessantly strived for truth, peace, liberty and
humanity. They fought for prosecuted and threatened people and time
and again raised their voices loudly against the craziness of arms
race and against the danger of an atomic war.
Einstein said about
Schweitzer in 1953:
"Due to my opinion he is the
only person in the western world - comparable with Gandhi - who has
had a supranational moral effect on this generation. As it is with
Gandhi, the force of this effect stems mostly from the example which
he has given through his practical life’s work."
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Albert Einstein, ca. 1950 |
Excerpt from a letter of Schweitzer to
Einstein; 1951
"Dear
Friend.
Let me refer to you in
this way, because it corresponds with the thoughts I have for you
and the hope and concern for the future of humankind we have in
common."
Excerpt from a letter of Einstein to
Schweitzer; 1954
"Dear
and honourable Albert Schweitzer!
... It
can be observed that your quiet example triggers a far-reaching
effect. Thus we have all reason for joy."
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2
Albert Schweitzer, 1959 |
Einstein and Schweitzer
exchanged several letters which each other (see bibliographical
reference). Einstein wrote in a public birthday greeting titled:
"Schlichte Groesse", to the 80th birthday of Albert
Schweitzer. This birthday greeting was published in a birthday
anthology together with other birthday greetings. The anthology was
published in 1954 titled: Albert Schweitzer. Respect for life. A
Festschrift commemorating his 80th birthday.
Due to what we know today,
Albert Einstein and Albert Schweitzer have met twice. The
bibliographical references are, however, contrary. One meeting is
said to have taken place in Berlin between 1928 and 1931, the other
one in London in the 30ies.
Illustrations Credits:
Courtesy Albert Einstein-Society, Bern: 1,
and
Deutsches
Albert-Schweitzer-Zentrum
, Frankfurt on the Main: 2
| Bibliography: |
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Erhard Schwarz
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Albert Einstein - Albert
Schweitzer
Ihr Briefwechsel, ediert und kommentiert |
Frankfurt on the Main 1998
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Albert Einstein –
Person of the Century
The American news magazine
Time
has declared Albert Einstein "Person of the
Century" at the end of the last century. The former American
president
Franklin
Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) took second place.
The Indian freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) took third
place.
The Time had
asked its readers on its website to elect the most important person
of the century for humankind. In the last Time-edition
of the century (December 31, 1999 Vol. 154 No. 27) the result was
published and the "Person of the Century", Albert Einstein, was
discussed for the reader in detail.
It is interesting to know
that a scientist was elected symbol of the past century. Einstein
was not only the scientist who revolutionized the physics of his
time and coined our world view with his theories. He was also a
person who pacifistically devoted himself with great engagement to
peace and freedom in the world.
"Einstein was not only a
great scientist but a great man. He was a symbol for the peace in a
world heading towards war. He stayed sane in an ill world and he
stayed liberal in a world full of fanatics."
Bertrand Russell
(1872-1970), British mathematician, philosopher and sociologist
That might also have been a
reason for people having seen in Albert Einstein the "Person of
the Century". Albert Einstein died on April 18 in 1955.
The German news magazine
Der Spiegel
made Albert Einstein the "Genius of the
Century" at the end of the past century. In its edition nr 50/1999,
Einstein’s life and work was honoured in an article consisting of
several pages.
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Copyright ©
2000-2008 Hans-Josef Küpper. All rights reserved. |
Imprint
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