2 1 0 D O C U M E N T 2 1 4 F E B R U A R Y 1 9 2 4
With best wishes to you and your husband, and sincere thanks for your friendly
letter, yours,
A. Einstein.
214. To Hans Albert and Eduard Einstein
[Berlin,] 23 February 1924
Dear Children,
Your letter made me very happy. Now even the vexatious Nobel Prize business
is in order, about which I had been so
upset.[1]
Now just see to it that the house pur-
chase happens, the sooner, the better. I would prefer it if you purchased a small
building rather than if I invested the money. For, under the current insecure state of
all things, properties really are the best. If it can’t be done, though, I would arrange
to deposit the money in America. Write me about it, if it comes to that. You don’t
need to ask me beforehand about the building purchase, as, for timing reasons, that
is not feasible; but I want you to ask a practical man, e.g., Mr.
Karr,[2]
for his opin-
ion. It could, however, also be someone else. At the beginning of May I’m traveling
to Naples to an international philosophers’
conference.[3]
On the trip there or back
I’ll make a stop in Zurich. I’m already looking forward to it very much. I’m im-
mersed up to my ears in work on a big new
theory.[4]
I hope something will come
of it. I’m enjoying myself with it and am quite content and decline all invitations to
the various far-away places where I’m supposed to preach about relativity. I wasn’t
even in Kiel for the whole winter, where
Anschütz[5]
is making great advances in
the design. By using electron tubes for the transfer, he succeeded in reducing the
size of the gyroscope construction considerably. I’m very glad that you, dear
Tete,[6]
are making such good progress with playing piano, likewise that you, dear
Albert,[7]
are finding satisfaction in your studies. Do learn English fluently, be-
cause that is very important for your future advancement. We shall see later about
the vacation. In any case, I don’t think that it can be anything other than Kiel, be-
cause my wallet is suffering from emaciation rather than obesity. I would quite like
to be there once just with Tete, because I actually never have been alone with him
for a longer period. So there’s no harm done if you don’t have vacation together.
Warm regards to both of you from your
Papa.
Friendly greetings to
Mama.[8]
Now that she’s satisfied after all, I, too, want to bury
the hatchet.