3 0 2 D O C U M E N T 2 1 4 D E C E M B E R 1 9 1 9
Über Ihre relativistischen Betrachtungen in der „Times“ haben wir uns alle sehr
gefreut[15]
und wir verfolgen alle Ihre Triumpfe jetzt in der ganzen Welt mit Stolz
und mit Angst: Stolz, weil wir immer sagen können, ja der Einstein ist auch an un-
sere Universität attachiert; Angst, weil wir die Ungewissheit Ihres Kommens in
diesem Semester haben. Lieber Herr Einstein, nehmen Sie als mitfühlender
Mensch und Physiker diese schreckliche Angst von uns, und lassen Sie uns im Ja-
nuar oder Februar 4 schöne Wochen mit Ihnen verleben dürfen.
Sehr dankbar wäre ich Ihnen, wenn Sie mir bald eine Nachricht zukommen las-
sen würden.
Leben Sie recht wohl, lieber Herr Einstein, grüssen Sie bestens Ihre liebe Frau,
und nehmen Sie selbst die herzlichsten Grüsse von Ihrem
Edgar Meyer.
ALS. [17 165]. There are perforations for a loose-leaf binder at the left margin of the document. Writ-
ten on Meyer’s personal letterhead of “Physikalisches Institut der Universität Zürich.”
[1]In its session of 6 November 1919, the Philosophical Faculty II of the University of Zurich had
voted to extend Einstein’s lectureship for the winter semester 1919/1920 (see minutes of the meeting
of the Philosophical Faculty II, 6 November 1919, SzZSa, AA 10:5, and note 3. See also Zangger’s
query about this appointment in the winter semester, Doc. 148 and its note 9).
[2]In its session of 9 December, the Educational Council (Erziehungsrat) of the Canton of Zurich
decided to extend a lectureship to Einstein for the summer semester 1920. As in the previous semes-
ters, the proposed lecture cycle was about “Special Chapters of Theoretical Physics” (“Spezielle Ka-
pitel der theoretischen Physik”) and covered twenty-four hours “within a period of time to be deter-
mined later” (“innerhalb eines später mitzuteilenden Zeitraums”). See entry of 9 December 1919 in
Calendar.
[3]In January 1919, Theodor Vetter, rector of the university, had asked to impose a fee of 10 Swiss
francs for attendance of Einstein’s lectures, to be paid to the Staatskasse, as compensation toward Ein-
stein’s remuneration of 1,200 Swiss francs (see minutes of the meeting of the Philosophical Faculty
II, 23 January 1919, SzZSa, AA 10:5). The fee was imposed at the meeting against the votes of Meyer
and Fueter, and had subsequently led to a dispute between Einstein and Vetter regarding the control
of attendance at his lecture by a Pedell (see Doc. 4). In its meeting of 13 February 1919, the Philo-
sophical Faculty II decided to ask the Erziehungs-Direktion to allow the lectures for the summer
semester to be given publice (i.e., without entrance fees). In this meeting, Fueter also expressed his
disapproval of the fact that Einstein had no “right of control” (“Verfügungsrecht”) over the fees (see
minutes of the meeting of the Philosophical Faculty II, 13 February 1919, SzZSa, AA 10:5). The fac-
ulty’s petition was rejected by the Erziehungs-Direktion in its session of 4 March; Protokoll der 4.
Sitzung des Erziehungsrates, 304 (D.11.a).
[4]Einstein gave a first cycle of lectures in Zurich in January and February 1919.
[5]Presumably Ilse Einstein, who worked as Einstein’s secretary (see Elsa Einstein to Edgar Meyer,
date uncertain [75 596]).
[6]A week later, Einstein gave this reason for declining to give additional lectures in Zurich to the
Education Department of the Canton Zurich (see entry of 20 December in Calendar). Earlier in the
year, Einstein had said that he would not be able to present anything new in his Zurich lectures
(Doc. 66). As early as mid-August 1918, Einstein had written to Zangger that Weyl would be much
better suited to do the lecturing than he (Vol. 8, Doc. 597).
[7]From the Department of Education, Canton of Zurich, 9 December (see entry of that date in Cal-
endar).
[8]See Bericht der Kommission für die Neubesetzung des Extraordinariates für theoret. Physik an
der phil. Fak. II. (in hand of Alfred Wolfer, dean of the faculty), after 7 November 1919, SzZU, ALF
Theoretische Physik 1918–21). The committee also looked into the possibility of reappointing Peter
Debye or Max von Laue, both of whom formerly held this position.