960 DOCUMENT 664
DECEMBER 1918
[1]Dated
from the
description
of
the
postmark
on
the
envelope
in Einstein/Besso
1972,
p.
145.
[2]For
Einstein’s
growing
disenchantment
with certain
aspects
of
the German
political
situation,
see
Doc.
655,
note
3.
[3]By
the end
of
November
1918,
the ratio
of
marks to francs had sunk to 100:61.
[4]More
than
two
years earlier,
Einstein had identified the
history
of
Germany’s
ills
with
the
names
of
Heinrich
von
Treitschke and Otto
von
Bismarck
(see
Doc.
264).
[5]Particularly, among
his
colleagues
in the Prussian
Academy (see
Doc.
651).
[6]Besso
was
planning a
return
to
Rome in
August (see
Doc.
598).
[7]Einstein
had
begun an
extensive
correspondence
with Tullio Levi-Civita in March 1915
(see
Doc.
60).
[8]See
Doc. 661.
[9]In September,
Einstein-Maric’s
lawyer
had
requested
that Einstein be
spared
the
inconvenience
of
a deposition
in
a
Berlin
court,
while
informing
the Zurich
court
that Einstein would be unable to
attend court
proceedings
in Switzerland
(see
Emil
Zürcher
jun.
to
Bezirksgericht,
6 September 1918,
SzZSa, B
XII Zch. 6314.
43,
Protokollheft Nr.
1386/1918,
no. 8).
The
judges
in
Zurich
acceded to
a request
that matters be
expedited (see
Emil
Zürcher
jun.
to Dr.
Huber, Bezirksrichter, 29
October
1918, SzZSa, B XII Zch. 6314.
43,
Protokollheft Nr.
1386/1918,
no.
9),
but
apparently
insisted that Einstein be
deposed
in
Berlin.
Legal
documents
were
sent
there
on
4
November with the
stipulation
that
they
be returned
to
Zurich within
ten
days.
The documents
were
only
received
by
the court
clerk
on
12
November and
returned
to
Switzerland
on
22 November
(see
routing cover
document,
4 November
1918,
and Brandt to
Kommol, Gerichtsvollzieher, 12
November
1918, SzZSa, B
XII Zch.
6314.
43,
Protokollheft
Nr.
1386/1918,
no.
16),
an
insufficient
period
of
time
within which to
depose
Einstein.
On 20
November,
a hearing
was
held in Zurich. Einstein-Maric’s
lawyer
introduced
a
letter
into
the
proceedings,
in which the defendant admitted
to
adultery (cited
in Doc.
621,
note
5).
Einstein
declined, however,
to
respond
to
a
further
request
for
details,
as
this
might compromise
"a cousin
[Elsa Einstein], residing
in
Berlin, a person
of
social
standing, to
whom
the
defendant
has
long
been
attracted"
("eine Cousine, ansässig
in
Berlin,
eine
Person besseren
Standes,
welcher der
Beklagte
schon
längst
zugetan war").
The
court
fined Einstein
10
francs for
not
appearing
before it in Zurich
and
ordered
him
(again)
to
be
deposed
before
a
Berlin
court
(see minutes
of
the
proceedings,
20
November
1918, SzZSa, B
XII Zch. 6314.
43,
Protokollheft
Nr.
1386/1918).
[10]Emil
Zürcher
junior.
[11]An
allusion to Einstein’s
lingering
resentment
of
Anna Besso-Winteler’s
"shameless"
behavior
toward him
(see
Doc.
572).
664.
To
Paul Ehrenfest
[Berlin,]
6. XII.
18.
Lieber
Ehrenfest!
Herzlichen Dank für Deine
Einladung,[1]
der ich
allerdings
im
Augenblick
nicht
Folge
leisten kann. Ich werde
nächster
Tage
über die
Schweiz[2]
nach Paris
reisen,
um
die Entente
zu
bitten,
die
hiesige ausgehungerte Bevölkerung vor
dem
Hunger-
tod
zu
retten.[3]
Nach
so
viel
Lüge
hält
es
schwer,
der bittern Wahrheit
zum
Glau-
ben
zu
verhelfen. Aber ich
denke,
mir
wird
man glauben, wenn
ich mein Ehrenwort
gebe. Übrigens muss
ich
sagen,
dass die
hiesigen
Menschen den Zusammenbruch
mit
Fassung
und
Ruhe
tragen,
nachdem
ihnen die Wahrheit
bezüglich
der
Kriegs-
ursachen
etwas
aufgedämmert
ist.
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