DOCS.
186,
187
FEBRUARY
1916 189
Seen from
my point
of
view,
the
affair looks
like
this. Freundl.
was
the
only
colleague
in
that
profession
until
now
to
support
my
efforts
effectively
in
the
area
of
general
relativity.[7]
He
has devoted
years
of thought,
and of work
as well,
to
this
problem, as
far
as was possible
beside
the
exhausting
and tedious duties
at
the
observatory.
What
a pitiful
rascal
I
would be
if, now
that the
idea has
become
accepted,
I
dropped
the
man on
the
thought
that
I
am now no
longer
dependent
on
him.
Just
put
yourself
into
my
shoes. Then
you
will
stop applying
the
watchword
“landgrave,
steel
yourself.”[8]
Fr.
has
a
second
attribute
to
his merit
as
well.
I do not want
to
talk about the
refutation
of
von
Seeliger’s
theory
of
Mercury’s perihelion
motion,
since
this
deed
may possibly
be described
as
battering
down
open
doors.[9]
But
Fr. has shown
that
modern astronomical tools
are
good enough
to
demonstrate
light
deflection
by
Jupiter,[10]
which
I
would not have
thought
possible despite having
considered
the
case
years
ago.[11]
I
simply
lack contacts in
astronomy.
Now,
I
gladly
admit that
Fr.’s weaknesses do
not
make
it
seem
at
all desirable
that the
execution
of
this
important
matter be
placed
solely
in his hands.
But
up
to
now no one
has made
any
effort toward
participating
in
the
undertaking,
so
that
I
am
de facto
nolens volens
dependent
on
Freundlich alone in
this
endeavor
of
promoting
the
resolution of this
eminently
important
question.
Recapitulation:
(1)
Fr. deserves
my
attempts
at
making
it
possible
for him
to
collaborate
in
the
undertaking
here in
question.
(2)
It
would be
extremely
desirable
if
others also
were
to take
on
the
problem,
be it
together
with
Fr.
or
independently,
without
any
collaboration.
Cordial
greetings,
yours,
Einstein.
187. To Mileva Einstein-Maric
Berlin,
13
Wittelsbacher
St.,
6 February 1916
D[ear] M[ileva],
I
propose
herewith to turn
our now
tested
separation
into
a divorce,[1]
whereby
we
could
essentially keep
to
our
friend Haber’s
draft.[2] I
believe
that
it
is
in
the
interest
of
both
of
us
that
in this
way
the
duties and
rights
of
each of
us
be laid
down
clearly,
so
that
we
each
can
arrange
the
rest
of
our
lives
independently
as
far
as
the situation
allows.
Previous Page Next Page