V O L U M E 8 , D O C U M E N T S 3 3 0 b , 3 3 2 a 4 9
Vol. 8, 330b. To Heinrich Zangger
[Berlin, before 29 April
1917][1]
Dear Zangger,
I am unsettled about your health because I know that you are not one to complain
without reason. What’s ailing you? Do inform me about it very
soon.[2]
Regarding
A[dler] I hesitated whether the submission made any sense. But now I am in favor
of it after all, thinking that it can do no
harm.[3]
At the same time I am writing to
Besso[4]
and sending a telegram to
Beck.[5]
Scientifically I don’t think much of A.,
but came to know him as an unusually selfless and decent person of rare goodness.
He is simultaneously almost pathologically stubborn. In his case, the denial of ego-
tism veers into its pathological opposite (voluptuous
suffering).[6]
He sent me a sci-
entific manuscript written just now: unproductive sophistry presented with
prophetic pathos—poor fellow—what should I say to him without lying, without of-
fending him, and without concealing what could be useful to him in his external cir-
cumstances! I’m constantly studying the bulky
manuscript.[7]
Cordial greetings, yours,
Einstein.
Vol. 8, 332a. To Heinrich Zangger
[Berlin,] 4 May 1917
Dear friend Zangger,
I thank you sincerely for your long letter, which unfortunately makes me dis-
tinctly aware again of how sad the circumstances of my family are. In the last few
days I’ve been reconsidering things very much again and am quite worried. One
thing seems quite certain, namely that the dissolution of the Zurich household is
final. So the primary question is how my Albert should best be cared for. I have
abandoned my original plan of taking him in
again.[1]
For one, the local environ-
ment seems unsuited for the boy; furthermore it would be too hard on my wife to
let the boy be so far away. Then the housekeeping here would also pose consider-
able difficulties. So three possibilities come into consideration. (1) I send him to
Lucerne to my sister, a childless, intelligent and sweet-tempered woman, who is
married in Lucerne to a civil servant.[2] (2) I send him to Tanner, my former student,
who is a teacher in Frauenfeld at the Cantonal
School.[3]
(3) Country boarding
school in
Glarisegg.[4]
(1) would be most preferable to me but would encounter re-
sistance from the suspicious wife. (2) would not be bad, (3) perhaps too expensive
for my circumstances.