Born in Ulm Germany, Albert Einstein (1879-1955) married Mileva Marić in 1903 and had their first son in 1904 in Switzerland. But it was 1905 that was a frantic, miraculous year for the young scientist. He published papers, formulated the theory of special relativity and explained the photo-electric effect. Then he submitted his doctoral dissertation On the Motion of Small Particles.
Albert Einstein during a lecture in Vienna
1921. Wikipedia
Brussels' Solvay Conference, the first world physics conference held in 1911, became a legend. 3 people stood out: Marie Curie, Ernest Rutherford and Albert Einstein.
Einstein was soon known as a great scientist. His theories of relativity revolutionised science by introducing new ways of looking at objects moving in space and time. And he made major contributions to quantum mechanics theory, winning the 1921 Nobel Physics Prize. Einstein travelled the world raising money for Hebrew University, including on a 1921 trip to the U.S with fellow scientist Chaim Weizmann who later became Israel’s first President. In the meantime, Einstein served on the university’s first board of governors.
He fled Germany in 1933 when the Nazi party came to power, moving to the US. Einstein’s commitment to Judaism and Zionism remained strong, and he continued as one of the most prominent supporters of the State of Israel and one of the founding fathers of Hebrew University. He was a non-resident governor of the institution!
Einstein’s connection to Israel was so strong, that when President Weizmann died in 1952, the state offered the role to Einstein. Though he was moved by the offer, Einstein refused, saying his expertise was in science and that he lacked the skill to deal with official functions. Instead, Einstein’s brilliant legacy in scientific research continued as the foundation of Hebrew Uni.
When Einstein wrote his last will, he bequeathed his manuscripts, copyrights, publication rights, royalties and all other literary property and rights, of every nature whatsoever to Hebrew Uni. Lauded as one of the greatest theoretical physicists of all time, Einstein died in 1955 aged 76.
A number of residential and museum sites have already been identified to honour Albert Einstein. A]The Historisches Museum Bern has 1000m² of exhibition space that offers details of the physicist’s life. B]Einstein lived in six different houses in Zurich, all still preserved today. At one property, a plaque honours its former famous resident. C]A simple, wooden house in Caputh village on Lake Templin is 15 ks near Berlin, custom-built for Einstein in 1929. He hosted a wide range of glamorous guests from the science and arts world in Caputh. And D]Albert Einstein House in Princeton N.J from 1935-55 was never made into a museum. But it was designated a U.S National Historic Landmark in 1976.
After he died, Israeli officials cleaned out Einstein’s office at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton N.J. They packed up all of his papers, photos, medals and other ephemera, placed them in big wooden crates and loaded them onto ships, travelling to the Hebrew University with police escorts. His archives were then stored away on the second floor of a Hebrew Uni building.
In 2022 Israel’s government approved the funding and establishment of Albert Einstein Museum on the campus of Hebrew Uni, the Jerusalem school the physicist helped establish a century ago.
Costing $18 million, an abandoned planetarium at the Givat Ram campus will be rebuilt to contain the c85,000 Einstein items, making it the world's most extensive Einsteinian collection. The government committed c$6 million and the university $12 million.
With original documents, modern exhibition techniques & scientific demonstrations, the Museum will present Einstein’s contributions to science, the impact of his discoveries in the world of physics on modern lives, his public activity and his involvement in key historical moments. Einstein archives will be viewable by the general public and the museum will serve as a space for scientific and technological education, and demonstrations. The library and office will be reconstructed versions of his old Princeton facilities.
Einstein in his N.J study with violinist Bronislaw Huberman,
March 1937, Ripley's
When Einstein wrote his last will, he bequeathed his manuscripts, copyrights, publication rights, royalties and all other literary property and rights, of every nature whatsoever to Hebrew Uni. Lauded as one of the greatest theoretical physicists of all time, Einstein died in 1955 aged 76.
A number of residential and museum sites have already been identified to honour Albert Einstein. A]The Historisches Museum Bern has 1000m² of exhibition space that offers details of the physicist’s life. B]Einstein lived in six different houses in Zurich, all still preserved today. At one property, a plaque honours its former famous resident. C]A simple, wooden house in Caputh village on Lake Templin is 15 ks near Berlin, custom-built for Einstein in 1929. He hosted a wide range of glamorous guests from the science and arts world in Caputh. And D]Albert Einstein House in Princeton N.J from 1935-55 was never made into a museum. But it was designated a U.S National Historic Landmark in 1976.
After he died, Israeli officials cleaned out Einstein’s office at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton N.J. They packed up all of his papers, photos, medals and other ephemera, placed them in big wooden crates and loaded them onto ships, travelling to the Hebrew University with police escorts. His archives were then stored away on the second floor of a Hebrew Uni building.
In 2022 Israel’s government approved the funding and establishment of Albert Einstein Museum on the campus of Hebrew Uni, the Jerusalem school the physicist helped establish a century ago.
Costing $18 million, an abandoned planetarium at the Givat Ram campus will be rebuilt to contain the c85,000 Einstein items, making it the world's most extensive Einsteinian collection. The government committed c$6 million and the university $12 million.
New museum's collection of documents and photos
With original documents, modern exhibition techniques & scientific demonstrations, the Museum will present Einstein’s contributions to science, the impact of his discoveries in the world of physics on modern lives, his public activity and his involvement in key historical moments. Einstein archives will be viewable by the general public and the museum will serve as a space for scientific and technological education, and demonstrations. The library and office will be reconstructed versions of his old Princeton facilities.
Einstein's theories of relativity revolutionised the field by introducing new ways of looking at the movement of objects in space and time. He also made major contributions to quantum mechanics theory, and won the Nobel physics prize for 1921. But he is still one of the biggest names in the world for intelligence, science and genius around the world. Thus the museum will become a pilgrimage site for anyone who wants to understand Einstein in particular, and intelligence in general.
Statue of Albert Einstein by Georgy Frangulyan,
Givat Ram campus, Jerusalem.
Times of Israel
20 comments:
Why did Einstein not win the Nobel Prize in 1921? What competition was he up against? And why did this clever and pioneering physicist receive the award in 1922 instead?
Hi Hels - the new museum will be fascinating to visit ... and Einstein has opened eyes, that are more intelligent than mine, to so much in the universe - such an interesting man. Cheers Hilary
Joe
When selecting a winner in 1921, the Nobel Committee for Physics decided that none of the year's nominations met the criteria as outlined in Alfred Nobel's will. According to the Nobel Foundation's statutes, the Nobel Prize could therefore be reserved until the following year, so this statute was applied. Thus Albert Einstein received his ONLY Nobel Prize a one year later, in 1922.
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1921/ceremony-speech/
Hilary
I am ambivalent. On one hand Einstein never stopped studying, reading, writing journal and conference papers, lecturing and travelling constantly to become the the finest scientist on the planet. And he shared the learning with the most brilliant people in every country.
My sadness is Mileva's first girl was born shortly before they were married in 1902 (but soon died), then 2 sons were born after they were married. Einstein was unfaithful to Mileva who soon returned to Zürich, taking the sons with her.
In 1919 Albert married his mistress, Elsa, who was also his first cousin and in 1933 they emigrated to the U.S. Son Eduard was diagnosed with psychosis and locked away, so I doubt if Albert ever saw this son. Son Hans seemed to have had a successful and happy life.
Boa tarde minha querida amiga. Obrigado pela excelente matéria de qualidade e aula de história.
Your research into various historical subjects is always a pleasure to read. Love the succinct and to the point in your article.
Luiz
I am delighted they are opening a complete Einstein Museum. The papers have always been safe in the archives, but only very involved scientists would have known how to access them. Soon it will be open for the entire interested public, including university students etc.
roentare
I was very skilled in history, literature and foreign languages at school, but utterly hopeless at physics, chemistry and biology. Now I am looking forward to testing my MUCH older brain, to see if the new Museum stirs the grey matter at all.
Thank you for mentioning Bern's museum.
When Albert Einstein (1879–1955) lived in Bern, he came up with a revolutionary theory that changed our perception of time and space forever. A good 100 years later, the Einstein Museum in Bern offers a unique insight into the life and work of the famous scientist. Located within the museum complex Bernisches Historisches Museum, the Einstein exhibition space was originally set up in 2005 for the 100-year-anniversary of Einstein’s special theory of relativity. Due to its phenomenal success, the temporary exhibition was then converted into a permanent one now known as the Einstein Museum.
An audio guide in nine languages makes the Einstein Museum accessible to a wide audience.
Einstein Museum
I saw the Bernisches Historisches Museum when it was a temporary exhibition and really did enjoy myself. But now I am encouraged to see your newer Einstein Museum, many thanks.
That he was very well recognised within his lifetime makes a change from many who were not. Will there ever be another Einstein? Unlikely isn't it.
Andrew
Albert Einstein had the most amazing childhood, educationally-speaking. Max Talmud was his maths tutor who gave him children's science books. At 12 he discovered a book of geometry, which he was passionate about. As a teen, he was sent to the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School which had become a full university.
I suppose all that scientific support and curiosity might have come to nothing. But even when his young life was not going well in his family, he was showing the signs of the genius the world later discovered.
Einstein was ,no doubt, a brilliant mind! His works and archives deserve to be stored in museums and viewed by the public.
However, like most scientists, he lacked those non-scentific skills that actually rule the world. And so, the world (inclusive Israel) is heavily deteriorating and even facing extinction.
DUTA
a theoretical physicist is incapable to damaging the world, unless he cooperates with parliamentarians and military experts in developing actual projects. Einstein had nothing to do with the Manhattan Project and therefore was not associated with the development of nuclear weapons. Yet despite him knowing little about the nuclear particle physics underlying the bomb, this pacifist was crippled with grief and guilt when the Americans' Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs killed c210,000 civilians.
An amazing man. I saw a plaque saying, 'Einstein lived here' on a building in Thun, Switzerland (My husband's hometown). I read once that he was autistic. Is this true.
diane
I cannot find that Einstein lived in Thun, but since Bern is only 15 mins from Thun, perhaps The Historisches Museum Bern that I mentioned is actually the same one you are referring to in Thun. Let me know what you find out about the smaller town.
This part of your comment was fascinating. People with Asperger syndrome often had problems communicating. Einstein had a VERY high IQ, but he couldn't speak well as a young child; he preferred reading and solving maths problems alone to socialising with other children; and as an adult he loved sailing alone, to avoid other people.
As an aside, I noticed that the great footballing legend Pele, who is receiving palliative care in Brazil, is in the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein in Sao Paolo. The hospital was founded by the local Jewish community in 1953 and is the leading hospital in South America and in the top 50 of the world.
CLICK HERE for Bazza’s tenderly turgid Blog ‘To Discover Ice’
bazza
From 1921 on Albert Einstein lived in or visited Switzerland, New York, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Malacca, Penong, Spain, Palestine, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Havana, Palm Springs, Oxford, Panama, Honduras, Salvador and more. And in 1925, Einstein embarked on an extensive lecture tour of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. His tours in European cities must have ended in 1933, but other continents seemed safe to him.
He wasn't just being a fun-indulging tourist.. he worked hard with the locals. I had not heard of Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein in Sao Paolo, but I know locals were very very thankful to him.
It's good Hebrew University decided to make a museum with Einstein's work. He did have a very influential career. Happy new week. Hugs-Erika
Erika
yes indeed. Not just very clever himself, but taking on the responsibility of travelling, teaching and publishing for other scientists. Imagine c85,000 Einstein papers, images and relics that "reinterpreted the inner workings of nature, essence of light, time, energy and gravity". Thank you, Hebrew U
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