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long been wanting you here one day at the Physical Society and at the university,
generally speaking. Indeed, I even think that we have a greater right to you than
other places because your relativity gospel found root here earlier and more firmly
than
elsewhere.[2]
Furthermore, Dr. Anschütz has commissioned me to invite you
as his
guest.[3]
Hence you will spend particularly pleasant days here—the Munich
Anschütz residence is a temple of the arts without equal!–
I would like to ask you to present a “popular” lecture here on Friday the 14th of
Jan. in the main auditorium. Audience: 1. Physical Society and colloquium. 2. Stu-
dents with a special interest in physics and philosophy. 3. All lecturers of the uni-
versity. 4. The local engineers association (to whom I would otherwise have to
deliver a talk, which I would like to avoid). 5. About 500 students; total seating and
standing capacity 1,200.
So as to reduce the throngs, we would charge an entrance fee to benefit the stu-
dent residence (support association). You yourself would receive 1,000 marks from
grant funds as travel compensation (hence not from the entrance money); if your
financial circumstances are bad, as I suspect, we could also go higher.
Yesterday I spoke with the General Student Committee in the presence of the
rector. The committee enthusiastically welcomes a guest lecture by you. If you pre-
fer, we could also organize two such lectures on succeeding days, such as on the
13th and 14th. Best time, ¼ past 6 until about ½ past 7. After the lecture Anschütz
wants to invite the faculty to his home.
Now, I could imagine that you are slowly getting fed up with popular lectures.
But I do hope that you will not treat Munich worse than other places. In consider-
ation of the student body, a popular lecture would be most particularly preferable
to me. If, however, your disinclination should be too great, we would naturally also
be grateful for a specialty lecture in a more restricted colloquium setting. It is un-
likely, though, that we could offer such a high honorarium for the latter (only about
500 marks).
Delight me with a rapid acceptance, if possible before Christmas. I still have
many preparations to make. You will also get to hear a very interesting thing from
Herzfeld about the Einstein–de Haas effect (explanation for the ½
factor!!).[4]
Give my regards to your wife, whom I thank kindly for her postcard from No-
vember. I count on her not foiling our hopes through dissuasion.
I presume you haven’t read my relat. article in the Süddeutsche Monatshefte; if
you have, I hope you did not take offense at my indiscretion (communication of let-
ter
excerpts).[5]
It was governed by the [style]. Yours,
A. Sommerfeld