2 3 0 D O C U M E N T 2 3 5 A P R I L 1 9 2 4
235. To Mileva Einstein-Maric
[Berlin,] 19 April 1924
Dear Mileva,
Recently I was at Haber’s and gained the impression from your letters that you
were far from intending to insult me last
year.[1]
That’s why I would like to restore
our old good relations and am even thinking of staying with all of you when I come
to Zurich again. This won’t happen just now because I canceled Naples for health
reasons.[2]
But I don’t feel ill; I just wanted to avoid so much useless exertion and
emotions. I’ve written so little to the
boys.[3]
But I think of them all the more, and
they constitute one of the finest parts of my inner life. The thought that through
them this life will continue when my clockwork has run down is a happy one for
me.
Zangger wrote me about a building
purchase.[4]
From the business point of view,
the matter isn’t exactly inspiring. Fr 10,000 fees and 14 income when everything is
rented out. The 4 remaining will surely be reduced by repair costs and other unfore-
seeables. You’ll have a lot of bother with the management and get hardly more than
if the money were invested otherwise. But if all of you enjoy the business, I don’t
want to stand in your way, particularly since the children could learn something
from the enterprise. Albeit, you do have to remember that Albert probably won’t
always be staying in Zurich and then the whole thing would rest on your and Tete’s
shoulders. What speaks in favor of it is that a building really is a safer property than
any type of securities. I wanted to tell you all this but still leave the decision to all
of you. It ultimately not only comes down to material concerns but also to what you
desire.
In May I’m going to Kiel, where Mr. Anschütz will be as
well.[5]
I don’t have
any plans for the summer yet. The only certain thing is that I want to be together
with the children. All of you give it some thought. Don’t hesitate to write me frank-
ly. After the experiences of the past year I’m not going to hold anything against you
anymore, but rather chalk the differences of opinion up to the inherent differences
between us. It really is much nicer to live in friendly harmony.
Warm greetings to all three of you from your
Papa.
Read Bernhard Shaw’s Arms and the Man. There’s a delightful contrast between a
Serbian and a Swiss
officer.[6]