D O C U M E N T 1 7 6 O C T O B E R 1 9 2 0 4 6 1
[3]In Doc. 166, Hedwig Born had informed Einstein how concerned Born was about the Mosz-
kowski affair.
[4]Hedwig Born had turned to Einstein for help in obtaining an invitation for Max Born to lecture
in the United States (see Doc. 161).
[5]Paul Weyland; Philipp Lenard; Ernst Gehrcke. For their opposition to relativity and the charges
they leveled against Einstein, see Docs. 111 and 154.
[6]Weyland had in his lecture in the Berlin Philharmonic Hall pointed to a book by Max Hasse
(Hasse 1920) for which Einstein had read the proofs and sent comments to Hasse (see Einstein to Max
Hasse, 1920 [Vol. 9, Calendar]), who included them in his book. Weyland used this as proof of his
charge that Einstein was himself actively involved in advertising relativity (see Weyland 1920c,
pp. 13–14).
[7]A reference to Moszkowski’s Jewish background. For the anti-Semitic character of the events in
the Berlin Philharmonic Hall, see Doc. 118, note 5.
[8]Max Planck; Max von Laue.
[9]Elsa Einstein.
[10]Born explained the agitated style of his letter by the circumstance that in the first edition of his
book on the theory of relativity (Born 1920a), he had published a photo of Einstein and a short biog-
raphy, describing not only Einstein’s scientific achievements but also his personality. Shortly after the
book appeared, he received a letter from Max von Laue expressing his and his colleagues’ objection
to a photo and biography being published in a scientific book (see Einstein/Born 1969, p. 69). Born
deleted the photo and biography in the subsequent editions of his book.
176. To Lucien Chavan and Jeanne Chavan-Perrin
[Benzingen, 15 October 1920]
Liebe Chavans!
In diesem einsamen Dörfchen sitze ich mit meinen
Buben,[1]
und wir gedenken
Ihrer und der Berner
Zeiten.[2]
Albert erzählt gerne von all dem Schönen, das er mit
Ihnen beiden erlebt
hat.[3]
Vor einigen Jahren wollte ich Sie auf dem Amt besu-
chen;[4]
Sie waren aber verreist.
Viel Glück und auf (hoffentlich baldiges) Wiedersehen! Ihr
A. Einstein.
AKS (SzBL). [72 354]. The postcard is addressed “Herrn & Frau L. Chavan Breitenrainstr 39 Bern
(Schweiz),” with return address “Abs. A. Einstein Haberlandstr. 5 Berlin.,” and postmarked “Verin-
genstadt 15.[10.]20.” The verso is a view of Benzingen.
[1]On Einstein’s stay with his sons in Benzingen, see Doc. 170.
[2]In the period between 1903 and 1909, both the Chavans and the Einsteins resided in Bern and
became friends (see Lucien Chavan to Einstein, 23 June 1908 [Vol. 5, Doc. 107], note 1, and Einstein
to Lucien Chavan, 19 October 1909 [Vol. 5, Doc. 180]).
[3]Hans Albert had stayed with the Chavans in Geneva in the summer to improve his French (see
Doc. 81). In a postcard to the Chavans (19 August 1920 [SzBL]), he thanked them and invited them
to Zurich.
[4]At the Swiss Telegraph Administration.