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186. From Paul Hertz[1]
Göttingen, 34 Riemann St., 28 October 1920
Esteemed Mr. Einstein,
I received a letter from a Hungarian acquaintance in which she asked for my in-
tervention for a Hungarian
engineer.[2]
He is supposedly an exceptional person; he
was a public commissar, and that is why he is now in danger of being sentenced to
death. As the lady writes, he never did any harm to anyone.
In jail he wrote some scientific papers and my acquaintance thinks if they were
very favorably reviewed, this could perhaps move the Hungarian government to a
reprieve. I cannot send you the papers because they are not here at the institute. So
you probably can easily obtain them yourself (József Kelen, Budapest, issues 20
and 30 of Zeitschrift für Elektrotechnik und Maschinenbau,
1920).[3]
Now, it is un-
likely to cause much of a stir if I wrote something about it; an article by you, how-
ever, could perhaps make an impression.
Another way would possibly be to get important physicists and engineers to
launch a public appeal. This solution was successfully taken, in its day, for Lukács
(Harnack also
participated).[4]
As I hear, Philipp Frank (Vienna) wants to attempt
something.[5]
It is a pity, of course, that I cannot give you any details at all. I wrote the lady to
kindly provide you with information right away (character, prehistory). Because of
the extraordinary urgency, I am writing you now and it must be left to you whether
you would like to wait for more information or be able to do something immedi-
ately, possibly with the help of our Dutch
colleagues.[6]
I wrote the lady to convey
the necessary information directly to you.
Excuse me for causing you so much trouble. But it does involve saving a per-
son’s life. With best regards, yours,
P. Hertz
187. From Bertha Moszkowski
28 October 1920
Esteemed Professor,
The heavy, unfair blow that you delivered in the letter my husband received to-
day lands on a completely innocent
person.[1]
At all events, he Buchhändler [Börsen]blatt that was sent to you is not meant for
the general public and came into your hands only through the indiscretion or malice
of some
publisher.[2]
Not even newspapers take these advertisements, and you must
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