3 8 V O L U M E 8 , D O C U M E N T 1 8 5 a
passieren. Der Zustand der Überarbeitung ist aber mit erhöhter Reizbarkeit verbun-
den; das entschuldigt einigermassen. Die Einseitigkeit der Beziehung zwischen El-
tern und Kindern ist überhaupt Naturgesetz; die Härte dieser Einrichtung wird nur
im Allgemeinen durch Dressur gemildert—siehe das (vierte?) Gebot des alten Te-
stam.
Ich freue mich sehr auf unser nächstes Plauderstündchen. Beste Grüsse, auch an
Ihre Frau und Ihre Kleinen von Ihrem
Einstein.
ALS (SzZ, Nachl. H. Zangger, box 1c). [86 454].The envelope is addressed “Herrn Prof. Dr. Zangger
Bergstr. Zürich Schweiz.,” with postmark “B[erlin-]Wi[lmersdorf] 10 [---],” and secondary postmark
“Zürich Brf. Exp. 14.XII.15. –7.”
[1]The letter was sent apparently as a fast response to Einstein’s complaints in his letters to Zangger
(the preceding document) and Mileva Einstein-Maric;, 1 December 1915 (Vol. 8, Doc. 159).
[2]Hans Albert indicated this wish in his card (Vol. 8, Doc. 154a, in the present volume).
[3]Michele Besso (1873–1955) was Einstein’s closest friend in Switzerland; Dr. Emil Zürcher Jr.
(1877–1937) was a Zurich lawyer who lived at Gloriastrasse 5, in the same house as Mileva and her
sons.
[4]Einstein had published the final form of the gravitational field equations of general relativity in
Einstein 1915i (Vol. 6, Doc.25) after submitting in the same month three other communications to the
Prussian Academy (Einstein 1915f, 1915g, 1915h [Vol. 6, Docs. 21, 22, 24]) in which he had
advanced other field equations but also computed the correct value of the perihelion advance of
Mercury.
[5]A reference to the investigation of the Ricci tensor as a possible left-hand side of a gravitational
field equation in his research leading up to Einstein and Grossmann 1913 (Vol. 4, Doc. 13); see espe-
cially p. 36. For similar comments on his earlier work with Marcel Grossmann (1878–1936), Profes-
sor of Mathematics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, see Einstein 1915f (Vol. 6, Doc. 21),
p. 778; Einstein to Arnold Sommerfeld, 28 November 1915 (Vol. 8, Doc. 153); and Einstein to
Hendrik A. Lorentz, 1 January 1916 (Vol. 8, Doc. 177). In unpublished research notes (see Vol. 4,
Doc. 10), Einstein had, among other candidate equations and in addition to the Ricci tensor, also con-
sidered the field equations published three years later in Einstein 1915f (Vol. 6, Doc. 21), as well as
the final field equations of Einstein 1915i (Vol. 6, Doc. 25) in linear approximation (see Vol. 4, Doc.
10, pp. 247–248, 253). For further historical discussion of Einstein’s earlier investigation of gravita-
tional field equations in his collaboration with Grossmann, see Norton 1984 and Renn and Sauer
1999.
[6]In his postcard of nine days earlier, Einstein complained about the loveless tone of Hans Albert’s
postcard and withdrew his promise to visit Switzerland before Christmas (see Einstein to Hans Albert
Einstein, 30 November 1915 [Vol. 8, Doc. 156]).
Vol. 8, 185a. To Wilhelm Wirtinger[1]
[Berlin, 26 January 1916]
Hoch geehrter Herr Dekan!
Bezug nehmend auf Ihre Anfrage vom 19. Januar 1916 teile ich Ihnen mit, dass
ich die Annahme eines an mich gelangenden Rufes an Ihre Universität sehr ernst-
haft in Erwägung ziehen
würde.[2]