D O C U M E N T 1 5 7 N O V E M B E R 1 9 2 3 1 5 3
the institute is going totally to the dogs. Would you please give my regards to
Ehrenfest?[11]
I have long owed him thanks for the shipment of some offprints.
With best regards,
Peter Pringsheim.
157. From Max Planck
Grünewald, Berlin, 18 November 1923
Dear Colleague,
Shortly after I wrote
you,[1]
your letter of the 7th on behalf of the stud[ent] Mr.
Olberg arrived here. It goes without saying that I shall keep an eye out for the man
and act in a beneficial sense in his matter as far as I can. It basically is more import-
ant to me that a course manual of mine be studied than that payments be made, by
whomever and to whomever.
But now, above all, heartfelt thanks for your letter of the 13th, which really did
take a heavy burden off my
mind.[2]
For, losing you permanently would be a blow
that I could not get over. In the meantime, supported by your valued
wife,[3]
I have
tried as much as possible to track down somewhat the dark forces working against
you; and specifically held long conferences with Public Health Councillor Dr.
Radt.[4]
But neither he nor the legal adviser of the Central Association of German
Citizens of the Jewish Faith, Dr.
Holländer,[5]
were in a position to give me tangible
indications for the existence of a plot directed against your safety; so I finally ar-
rived at the view that there is absolutely nothing tangible pointing in an individual
direction here. I rather explain this whole deplorable incident as arising out of the
nervous unrest that formed as a consequence of the excitement by the people over
the activities of certain Jewish racketeers (by which I do not mean to say that there
aren’t any Christian racketeers as well), and as a consequence of the news about the
Munich putsch attempt, which is as criminal as it is
shortsighted.[6]
All of this will
hopefully calm down again sooner or later, and then the time will surely also come
that you return and again take up your work here. I think no one will be more deeply
pleased about that than I; and I certainly don’t want to be impatient and try to pres-
sure you prematurely but am rather glad if you feel comfortable in Leyden. Give
my cordial greetings to the
Ehrenfests[7]
from me and remember your Berlin col-
leagues in a good light.
Most truly yours,
M. Planck.