V O L U M E 8 , D O C U M E N T 4 7 5 a 8 9
nently in a
sanatorium.[6]
The main thing is that we arrive at a permanent state of
affairs so that the endless terrible irritations finally come to an end, as far as they
can be avoided.
Warm greetings from your penitent
A. Einstein.
Vol. 8, 475a. From Mileva Einstein-Maric;
Zurich, 5 March 1918
Dear Albert,
In answer to your last letter of 31 January
1918[1]
I inform you of the following:
Your proposals regarding my and the children’s financial security in the case of
a declared divorce I accept, with reservations with respect to the 3rd point concern-
ing the provision of the widow’s and orphan’s pension for our benefit. This point is
too vague and unclear and must still be clarified before the filing of the
claim.[2]
If
my right to this pension can be maintained through a directive by you, then I ask
you to provide it. This will probably not be possible, though; do you then intend to
secure the matter by depositing a sum (which, in case you are granted the Nobel
Prize, you can then remunerate out of it), a bond, or make true
otherwise?[3]
Please
inform me about this. My dispensing with this pension just like that would be an
injustice on my part, and I couldn’t justify it toward my children. Your and my con-
ditions of health are such that we must think of
everything;[4]
it could happen that
upon losing this pension in the case of your death I am unable to work and am left
without any means whatsoever with the children, which you surely don’t want,
either. That is why I request that you settle this point. As concerns the filing of a
claim, I shall comply with your wish if you agree that I do it here in Zurich; for you
it is of no import where it happens, of
course.[5]
Dr. Zürcher was so kind as to pre-
pare an opinion on our
case,[6]
which I am enclosing with my letter. I ask you to
read through it and to inform me about whether you consent to the content of point
(1) in the same, upon which the claim should be
based,[7]
and won’t cause any dif-
ficulties about it.
With kd. regards,
Mileva.