Details
EINSTEIN, Albert (1879-1955). Autograph letter signed ('Albert') to his first wife, Mileva, n.p., n.d. [1928], 2½ pages, 4to, bifolium (pencil markings to margin of p.2).
Einstein is slowly recovering from illness [heart disease, which kept him bed-bound for several months in 1928], still in bed, but in ten days or so he may be able to get up ('In 10 Tagen darf ich vielleicht anfangen, vorsichtig aufzustehen'). He has just received a letter from Mileva, and hastens to correct an impression that he has compared her with their daughter-in-law Frieda -- 'We are getting on so well nowadays that you have no need to nourish such thoughts [Wir stehen doch nun so gut miteinander, dass Du solche Gedanken nicht nähren brauchst]'. Hans Albert has been offered a job in railway construction with brilliant prospects, but has turned it down -- a decision firmly seconded by his father, as the job involves management but no real engineering angle ('[er] hat Recht. Er hätte in dieser Stelle zu dirigieren aber nicht als konstruktiver Ingenieur zu wirken gehabt'); Einstein is above all delighted that his son has rejected money and career prospects in favour of research. Hans Albert's domestic situation is improving too -- his wife is now doing the cooking, and he has prospects of a flat tied to his job: 'I am so fond of him. Were it not for his hanger-on, I would love to have him here [Ich habe ihn so gern. Wenn sein Anhängsel nicht wäre, möchte ich ihn am liebsten hier haben]'; he is in any case coming in June 'with hanger-on', though Einstein considers Frieda guiltless in the question of the job refusal. The letter ends with the prospect of his younger son Eduard joining Einstein for a holiday on the Baltic.
Einstein is slowly recovering from illness [heart disease, which kept him bed-bound for several months in 1928], still in bed, but in ten days or so he may be able to get up ('In 10 Tagen darf ich vielleicht anfangen, vorsichtig aufzustehen'). He has just received a letter from Mileva, and hastens to correct an impression that he has compared her with their daughter-in-law Frieda -- 'We are getting on so well nowadays that you have no need to nourish such thoughts [Wir stehen doch nun so gut miteinander, dass Du solche Gedanken nicht nähren brauchst]'. Hans Albert has been offered a job in railway construction with brilliant prospects, but has turned it down -- a decision firmly seconded by his father, as the job involves management but no real engineering angle ('[er] hat Recht. Er hätte in dieser Stelle zu dirigieren aber nicht als konstruktiver Ingenieur zu wirken gehabt'); Einstein is above all delighted that his son has rejected money and career prospects in favour of research. Hans Albert's domestic situation is improving too -- his wife is now doing the cooking, and he has prospects of a flat tied to his job: 'I am so fond of him. Were it not for his hanger-on, I would love to have him here [Ich habe ihn so gern. Wenn sein Anhängsel nicht wäre, möchte ich ihn am liebsten hier haben]'; he is in any case coming in June 'with hanger-on', though Einstein considers Frieda guiltless in the question of the job refusal. The letter ends with the prospect of his younger son Eduard joining Einstein for a holiday on the Baltic.
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