48 DOCUMENT 46 JUNE 1907 46. To the Department of Education, Canton of Bern Bern den 17. Juni 1907. An die Direktion des Unterrichtswesens des Kantons Bern. Hochgeehrter Herr Regierungsrat![1] Der Unterzeichnete ersucht Sie hiemit um die Erlaubnis, sich an der philo- sophischen Fakultät der Universität Bern als Privatdozent für theoretische Physik zu habilitieren.[2] Mit vorzüglicher Hochachtung Dr. A. Einstein techn. Experte am Amte für geistiges Eigentum. Beilagen: a)Inauguraldissertation[3] b)Doktordiplom[4] c)17 Arbeiten aus dem Gebiete der theoretischen Physik. d)Curriculum vitae.[5] ADS (SzBeSa, BB III b, Hochschule, Philos. Facultät, Vol. XV, 1907). [70 108]. A bureaucra- tic procedural note indicating transmission of this document to the Philosophical Faculty II, University of Bern, signed by Ritschard, is omitted. [1]Johannes Ritschard (1845-1908), the Director of the Department. [2]On 18 June 1907, Dean Gustav Tobler (1855-1921) of the Philosophical Faculty placed Einstein's petition in circulation to sixteen members of the faculty, who returned it on 22 July (see SzBeSa, BB III b, Hochschule, Philos. Facultät, Vol. XV, 1907). At the beginning of the next semester, the faculty, after a lengthy discussion, rejected the petition until Einstein sub- mitted a Habilitationsschrift (see the minutes of the meeting of 28 October 1907, SzBeU, Pro- tokollbuch der philosophischen Fakultät II). While acknowledging Einstein's scientific qualifications, Professor of Physics Aime Forster (1843-1926) recommended to the dean that the petition be accepted "under the cus- tomary procedures" ("unter den üblichen Formen") (see AimĢ Forster to Gustav Tobler, 28 Oc- tober, SzBeSa, BB III b, Hochschule, Philos. Facultät, Vol. XV, 1907). The only deviation from these procedures seems to have been Einstein's submission of seventeen publications rather than "a specialized investigation of a scientific topic" ("eine wissenschaftliche Spezialunter- suchung") (see Bern Reglement 1891, §2). Einstein later claimed, however, that Forster had opposed his candidacy (see Einstein to Michele Besso, 6 March 1952, SzGB). The other physicist on the faculty, Extraordinary Professor Paul Gruner (1869-1957), rec- ommended that no special Habilitationsschrift be required (see the minutes of the meeting of 28 October, SzBeU, Protokollbuch der philosophischen Fakultät II). He later ascribed For- ster's reluctance to accept Einstein's petition to the fact that there were too few students to warrant appointing another theoretical physicist (see Paul Gruner to Carl Seelig, 26 February 1952, SzZE Bibliothek, Hs. 304:657). [3]Einstein 1905j (Vol. 2, Doc. 15). [4]Conferred on 15 January 1906 (see Doc. 31, note 6). [5]The enclosure is in the same file in SzBeSa as this document.