Immediately after the receipt of this information
(last
Wednesday) I wrote to the director of the Burgdorf Technikum and
applied
for the
position.
The next
day
my
colleagues told
me
that this
teaching position
involves not
only mechanics and strength of
materials, but also includes instruction in machine
design, for which
practical experience
is essential. However, this does
not say
that the
teaching of all these
subjects
by
one
teacher will also
go
on
in the
future. I have not yet received
a
response.
I
indicated that
they
may
ask
my
former
teachers
at
the
Aarau
cantonal school about
me,
and,
further,
that
you
and I
are
personal friends.
I wrote
this mainly
because I
thought
that the
gentlemen
there
are
acquainted with
you
and
will
turn to you
for information.
I
just
don't know whether
it
would
have been
pleasant
for
you
to
give
an
objective judgment
about
me
--
I
would find
an
analogous situation somewhat awkward,
one
has to stick
rigorously
to
the truth, and
at
the
same
time
one
does
not
like
to
say
anything
unfavorable.
But
in this
way you
can
easily
refrain from
giving
an
opinion
if this
seems more
appropriate
to
you.
I
have been
quite exceptionally pleased
with
my
activities here.
It had
never
occurred
to
me
that
I
would
enjoy teaching
as
much
as
it
actually proved to be the
case.
After having taught
5
or
6
classes in
the morning,
I
am
still quite fresh and work in the afternoon either
in the library
on
furthering
my
education
or
at home
on
interesting
problems.
I
cannot
tell
you
how
happy
I
would feel in such
a
job.
I
have
completely given
up my
ambition
to
get
a
position
at
a
university,
since I
see
that
even as
it is,
I
have
enough strength
and
desire left for scientific endeavor.
There is
no
exaggeration in what
you
said about the German
professors.
I have
got
to
know
another sad
specimen of
this
kind
--
one
of the foremost
physicists
of Germany. To
two
pertinent objections
which
I
raised
against
one
of his theories and which demonstrate
a
direct defect in his conclusions, he responds by pointing out that
another
(infallible)
colleague of his shares his opinion. I'll
soon
make
it
hot for the
man
with
a
masterly publication. Authority
gone
to
one's head is the greatest
enemy
of truth.
But I do not want to bore
you any
longer
with
my
talk. Thanking
you
sincerely,
I
remain
your
Albert Einstein
Schaffhauserstr. 38, Winterthur
116.
FROM
MILEVA
MARIC
[Zurich,
ca.
8
July
1901]
So, you'll immediately look for
a
position
sweetheart and take
me
to
you!
How
happy I
was
when
I
read
your
litle letter,
and how
happy
I
still
am
and
always
will be. And if I don't infect
you
too,
sweetheart, off with
my
head!. But of
course,
dear, it shouldn't be
the
worst
possible
position,
this would make
me
feel awful,
I
wouldn't
be able to stand it. Will then
our
assorted old folks be surprised.
By
the
way, my
sister has written to
me
that
I
should invite
you
to
visit
us
during the vacation,
my
parents
are now
probably in
a
better
mood. Wouldn't
you
like to
come
along,
it would make
me
happy!
And
think of the beautiful journey
we
would
make
together!
Here and there
177