D O C U M E N T 2 6 1 O C T O B E R 1 9 2 1 1 6 7
prefer to live in your home, as I had
planned.[3]
But I cannot do so because of the
public scandal that would be attached to it. I’m too much in the focus of gossip as
it
is.[4]
I can stay in the guest house next door to all of you, you
know.[5]
We can
then talk everything over. Main question: Where should [Hans] Albert do his
studies?[6]
I’m not so adamant about your moving to Germany
anymore.[7]
There
are two sides to consider.
I’m leaving on Saturday (15th) morning and arriving at night around half past
one in Innsbruck. There I’ll spend the night at the “Goldene
Sonne.”[8]
Best would
be if I could find Albert there. But if he isn’t there, I’ll wait for him there on Sunday.
We shall then probably cross the border directly into Florence, with a stay in
Verona.
Maja,[9]
whom we’ll be visiting, is in Florence. She will certainly be
thrilled to see Albert after such a long time. I have to be in Bologna on the evening
of the 20th the latest. On the 26th I am delivering my last lecture there. Then we’ll
travel together to Zurich. On the 5th of November I have to be in Leyden. I’m look-
ing forward to it more for Albert’s sake than for my own. No less do I look forward
to seeing my little Tete strutting about with my
watch.[10]
Don’t mention that I’m
coming to Zurich so that I can avoid an invitation to Geneva, where I had promised
to give a talk a long time ago
already.[11]
If I should have to go to Geneva, then I’d
take Tete along, if possible.
Kisses to the children and kind regards to you, from your
Albert.
I’ll reimburse Albert’s travel expenses (including visa, etc.) so that you don’t incur
any debts for his
trip.[12]
261. To Arnold Sommerfeld
[Berlin,] 9 October 1921
Dear Sommerfeld,
You always act so amicably, indeed—if I may say so—chivalrously toward me
at each instance that it is becoming very grim for me to uphold my
retraction,[1]
entirely because of you. But there is simply no other way, you must be sensing that,
too. You very rightly declare that the students have to be enraged for weighty psy-
chological reasons; that they erroneously consider me a Communist and so on; that
now they are supposed to be punished on top of it all with
expulsion.[2]
I conclude
from this that they would certainly have some sort of surprise ready at my arrival if
I were to come. All this I understand and respect, for nothing is more gratifying
than penetrating into the depths of unknown souls from the privacy of my chamber.
But I do not want to go through it up close, especially since I’ve witnessed enough