DOCUMENT 68 DECEMBER 1907 ADSX. [35 329]. 81 [1]Dated by the stamp "Exp. 11 Dez 1907 A.B." on the document. [2]Probably the Swiss Patent Office's registration number of the patent application. [3]Patent lawyers, located at Spitalgasse 32 (see Adressbuch Bern 1908). [4]The full description of the patent application is "Alternating Current Machine with Short- Circuit Brushes and Opposing Auxiliary Spools for Spark Prevention" ("Wechselstromkollek- tormaschine mit Kurzschlußbürsten und diesen gegenüberliegenden Hilfsspulen zur Funken- vermeidung") it is dated 1 December 1906 (see printed Patentschrift Nr. 38853, SzBeBgE). Einstein's interest in this case may have rested in part on experiences gathered in his fa- ther's and uncle's firms in Munich, Pavia, and Milan (see Vol. 1, "Albert Einstein-Beitrag für sein Lebensbild," pp. li-lv), as well as on his own work with the Habicht brothers (see the ed- itorial note, "Einstein's 'Maschinchen' for the Measurement of Small Quantities of Electrici- ty," pp. 51-55). [5]In contrast to German and American practice and more in keeping with French proce- dures, Swiss patent applications concentrated on a clear formulation of the claimed invention and did not involve a determination of its utility or priority (see Bundesgesetz betreffend die Erfindungspatente vom 21. Juni 1907, in Schweizerisches Bundesblatt 59, no. 28 [29 June 1907], articles 26 and 3). Einstein later stressed that "the work on the definitive formulation of technical patents [was] a real blessing for me" ("die Arbeit an der endgültigen Formulierung technischer Patente [war] ein wahrer Segen für mich") (see Einstein 1955, p. 147 manuscript and typescript versions of this reminiscence are in the Einstein Archives, [1 205] and [1 206]). [6]A second complaint, also in Einstein's hand, was filed on 11 February 1908 (see Sz-Ar, E 22/2338, Dossier Einstein) and took issue with a supplementary patent application of 14 No- vember 1907 (see printed Patentschrift Nr. 39988, SzBeBgE). 68. To Rudolf Ladenburg Bern. 20. XII 07 Geehrter Herr Dr![1] Sehr erfreut über Ihr Interesse an jener Arbeit, sende ich Ihnen 3 Exempla- re (eines für Sie, zwei für die beiden andern Herrn.[2] Hochachtungsvoll Ihr ergebener A. Einstein Patentamt Bern. AKS (Georg Mandl, Netstal, Switzerland). [81 179]. The verso is addressed "Herrn Dr. R. La- denburg Physikalisches Institut Breslau," and postmarked "Bern Brf.Exp. 20.XII.07.-3." [1]Ladenburg (1882-1952) was Privatassistent in physics at the University of Breslau. [2]The two individuals in question may be Max Born (1882-1970) and Fritz Reiche (1883- 1969). Born had recently received his doctorate from the University of Göttingen and was at- tending lectures at the University of Breslau. Reiche had obtained his doctorate a month earlier from the University of Berlin and was continuing his physics studies in Breslau. Born later claimed that Ladenburg was so caught up in "enthusiasm" ("Eifer") about rela- tivity that he visited Einstein in the summer-probably of 1909-to persuade him to attend the 81st meeting of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Naturforscher und Ärzte, which was held in Salzburg in September 1909 (see Max Born to Carl Seelig, 8 January 1953, SzZE Bibliothek, Hs. 304:228). Einstein attended the meeting and delivered a lecture on radiation theory, in which relativity was touched upon as well (see Einstein 1909c [Vol. 2, Doc. 60]).
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