642
DOCS. 617-619 SEPTEMBER
1918
in
the
field
of
physics.
Because
the
Boards of Trustees and Directors
have found
there
to be
no shortage
of
physical
laboratories,
no
special building
is
being
created
for
this Institute.
In
this
way,
the
option
is realized
of
assigning
all
the
available funds
completely
for
the
benefit
of
scientific research.
Ongoing
activities:
The
astronomer Dr. Freundlich
was
taken
on
for
the
years
1918, 1919,
and
1920
to
perform
astronomical
analyses
to test
the
consequences
of
the
general theory
of
relativity.[2]
Furthermore,
upon
the
application
of Prof.
P.
Debye
from
Göttingen
regard-
ing
his researches in
the
field of
X-ray spectroscopy,
the
Board of Directors
approved-for these
investigations-the
purchase
of
the
necessary apparatus.[3]
618. To
Eduard
Study
[Berlin,]
17 September 1918
Highly
esteemed
Colleague,[1]
I
have been
reading your
little
book
on
the
epistemological
foundations of
geometry[2]
these
past few
days
and
so
much
enjoyed your
witty
and
unique
explanations
that
I
simply
cannot refrain from
thanking
you personally for
the
pleasure.
Much in
the
book
is
so
aptly
said
and,
at
the
same
time,
so humorously
that
often
I
had
to
laugh
out loud in
my quiet
study.[3]
In
general, any
reader who has
thoughts
of his
own
will
not able
to
be of
the
same
opinion
on
all
points.
I
liked
exceedingly
what
you say
about Kant
and his
successors[4]
as
well
as
your
criticism of the offshoots of
axiomatics,
in
particular,
the
requirement of
an
analytical
foundation for
geometry.[5]
I
am
convinced
that
gradually, very gradually,
this
requirement
will
prevail.
In
the
hope
of
personally making
the
acquaintance
of this
inspired
and
truthful
author
sometime,
I
am yours
sincerely,
A.
Einstein.
619.
From
Hermann
Weyl
Samaden,
Aola
Pozzoli,
18 September 1918
Dear
Colleague,
You have
not
heard from
me
for
a long
time.
Throughout
the
summer
I
was
not in
the best
of
health
and this
is
also
the
reason
why
I
have
just
not
come
very
much
further
till
now
with
the
consequences
of
my
theory,
which
you
are
challenging.[1]
But
my
faith
in it
is not
yet
shaken. To
now
it
has
only
been
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