The Time in Berlin (1914–1933)
Completion of the "Allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie
In April 1914 Einstein moved to Berlin. At the Prussian Academy of Sciences he had the title of professor, but was released from any teaching obligations, which he viewed as annoying. He could apply himself almost exclusively to the advancement of the theory of general relativity. His wife Mileva, from whom he had become estranged in the previous few years, and his two sons, stayed in Zurich.
In 1916 Einstein completed the general relativity theory.
On the occasion of the solar eclipse in March 1919, the predictions of the general relativity theory, that rays of light were diverted by a gravitational field, were confirmed. Also in 1919 he was legally divorced from Mileva. Einstein then married his cousin Elsa Löwenthal.
The next few years were filled with travel- and lecture activities all over the world. Nevertheless, he remained in contact with Zurich during this time. Thus, between 1918 and 1920 he held guest lectures at the University of Zurich. He also remained in contact with Hermann Weyl (window to the person), who taught geometry at the ETH Zurich, by means of an active exchange of letters. Weyl had presented the theory of general relativity in 1918 in more elegant mathematical terms than its originator, and his book “ Raum, Zeit, Materie” greatly impressed Einstein. (Letter Einstein an Weyl, 8.3.1918). Weyl’s collection (external link) of papers lies in the ETH-Bibliothek (Archives and Private Collections).
In 1921 Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for physics, for the discovery of the photoelectric effect in 1905. In 1930 he was also honoured with the Dr. h.c. from the ETH Zurich.
Starting from the winter semester of 1930, Einstein spent a quarter of each year in Princeton, but was worked at the Academy in Berlin during the summer months. After the seizure of power by the national socialists in Germany in 1933, Einstein did not return to Germany. His assets were confiscated and a price put on his head.
Documents to the time in Berlin (German)
Einstein's Letters to Hermann Weyl
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 23.11.1916 (pdf, 506 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 03.01.1917 (pdf, 459 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 08.03.1918 (pdf, 448 kB)
- Postkarte von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 06.04.1918 (pdf, 379 kB)
- Postkarte von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 08.04.1918 (pdf, 394 kB)
- Postkarte von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 15.04.1918 (pdf, 426 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 18.04.1918 (pdf, 460 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 19.04.1918 (pdf, 516 kB)
- Postkarte von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 19.04.1918 (pdf, 346 kB)
- Postkarte von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 01.05.1918 (pdf, 420 kB)
- Postkarte von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 10.05.1918 (pdf, 407kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 31.06.1918 (pdf, 560 kB)
- Postkarte von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 03.07.1918 (pdf, 419 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 27.09.1918 (pdf, 604 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 29.11.1918 (pdf, 634 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 16.12.1918 (pdf, 408 kB)
- Postkarte von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 05.09.1921 (pdf, 434 kB)
- Postkarte von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 16.12.1921 (pdf, 431 kB)
- Postkarte von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 22.12.1921 (pdf, 430 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 06.06.1922 (pdf, 439 kB)
- Postkarte von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 23.05.1923 (pdf, 443 kB)
- Postkarte von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 26.05.1923 (pdf, 430 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 26.04.1927 (pdf, 464 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 14.03.1929 (pdf, 390 kB)
- Postkarte von Albert Einstein an Hermann Weyl, 25.04.1931 (pdf, 427 kB)
Letters to David Reichinstein
- Postkarte von Albert Einstein an David Reichinstein, 31.02.1921 (pdf, 388 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an David Reichinstein, 27.08.1923 (pdf, 395 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an David Reichinstein, 26.05.1931 (pdf, 312 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an David Reichinstein, 1932 (pdf, 467 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an David Reichinstein, 26.04.1932 (pdf, 403 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an David Reichinstein, 02.05.1932 (pdf, 485 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an David Reichinstein, 26.05.1932 (pdf, 391 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an David Reichinstein, 11.06.1932 (pdf, 410 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an David Reichinstein, 29.06.1932 (pdf, 390 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an David Reichinstein, 06.07.1932 (pdf, 385 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an David Reichinstein, 11.07.1932 (pdf, 375 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an David Reichinstein, 13.10.1932 (pdf, 375 kB)
- Ignazy Moscicky (polnischer Staatspräsident) an A. Einstein, 27.09.1932 (pdf, 897 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an David Reichinstein, 19.10.1932 (pdf, 357 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an David Reichinstein, 21.02.1936 (pdf, 361 kB)
Additional documents
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Geertruida De Haas, 1915 (pdf, 566 kB)
- Telegramm von Albert Einstein an Emil Beck, 30.04.1917 (pdf, 401 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Carl Seelig, 29.12.1919 (pdf, 395 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Richard Fleischer, 17.01.1920 (pdf, 371 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Carl Seelig, 16.05.1923 (pdf, 409 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Mileva Einstein, 13.02.1926 (pdf, 595 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Hans Albert Einstein, 25.11.1928 (pdf, 415 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Hans Albert Einstein, undatiert (pdf, 415 kB)
- A. Einstein: Bemerkung über die Juden als Volksgemeinschaft, 06.08.1930 (pdf, 342 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Eugen Meyer-Peter, 06.11.1930 (pdf, 403 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Eugen Meyer-Peter, 07.01.1931 (pdf, 376 kB)
- Postkarte von Albert Einstein an Paul Winteler, 30.09.1931 (pdf, 577 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Aurel Stodola (Datum unlesbar) (pdf, 434 kB)
- Brief von Albert Einstein an Paul Bernays, 1918/20 (pdf, 468 kB)