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ridiculous situation. At Springer’s the midnight oil had to be burned in order for the
speech to be ready by the
5th.[6]
I had to harass
Berliner.[7]
Now a whole edition is
finished off the press; it costs a few thousand marks. Are you supposed to pay for
it? That’s an [audacity], of course. It will never sell, because it was never [deliv-
ered]. A very crazy affair. You have to admit. It really was a rash matter. I was on
a long visit with Haber today, said my mind about all those historical
things.[8]
This
has to be, once a year. You know that Haber is now a good friend of mine; we un-
derstand each other well and [put our heads together]: we both just want what is
good and nice for you. We discussed many things. If my girlhood friend sends you
a package, then do send her a couple of nice words of
thanks.[9]
Do it nicely, then
she’ll be pleased. Please do so, I beg you. Do you think the violin will arrive so
quickly in
Leyden?[10]
The document is traveling from place to place, it changes
nothing [about] my eloquence. But I surely would have brought it over the border
as my
violin.[11]
I’m as eager as a child for your return soon; I can hardly wait. Fond
kisses, your
Wife.
31. From Robert Fricke[1]
Bad Harzburg, Lorenhöhe, {17 Kaiser Wilh[elm] St., Braunschweig}, 26 May 1920
Dear Colleague,
As current Pres. of the German Math. Association, I recently contacted Schön-
flies, the Opening Chairman of the Ist Sec[tion] of the Nauheim meeting, about the
framework of the
meeting.[2]
I then made the proposal that, for the joint session of
the Ist Sec. with the Sec. for Mathem. Physics, the Thursday morning be reserved
exclusively for talks on the theory of relativity. I take it as certain that you will
speak on Monday or Tuesday at the general meeting of the main section of scienc-
es. This would surely not exclude that you would again take the stand before the
more limited circle of specialists in your discipline on Thursday. Apart from you,
I also wanted to approach Messrs. von Laue, Hilbert, Sommerfeld, Weyl, and Born
with the same
request.[3]
If I should succeed in organizing such a morning session,
I would think it could become one of the greatest successes of the Association and
could show the world what Germany can accomplish in the field of science, even
in such deeply troubled times as these.
In great respect,
Dr. R. Fricke
Privy Councillor.