D O C U M E N T 2 8 2 O C T O B E R 1 9 2 8 4 4 1 Ich selbst bin seit drei Jahren von einer schweren Krankheit (Anämie) heimge- sucht worden wenn auch dieser Krankheit durch eine amerikanische Entdeckung der tödliche Stachel genommen worden ist,[8] so bin ich doch gerade in letzter Zeit von den Symptomen dieser Krankheit arg geplagt worden. Ich weiss nicht, wie weit Sie über Brouwers Verhalten zu dem Internationalen Ma- thematiker-Kongress in Bologna orientiert sind es war fürchterlich, und das Schlimmste dabei ist, dass obwohl jetzt die meisten deutschen Mathematiker und alle ausländischen, insbesondere auch seine nächsten Fachkollegen in Holland sein Treiben erkannt haben, noch immer einige deutsche Mathematiker zu ihm halten.[9] Auf Ihren Wunsch stehe ich mit näheren Ausführungen, evtl. auch mit Belegen, zur Verfügung. H. TLS. [13 139]. [1] Hilbert (1862–1942) was Professor of Mathematics at the University of Göttingen. [2] Einstein was one of the four principal editors of Mathematische Annalen, together with Hilbert Otto Blumenthal (1876–1944), Professor of Mathematics at the Technical University in Aachen and Constantin Carathéodory (1873–1950), Professor of Mathematics at the University of Munich. The latter two received the identical letter from Hilbert, who appended the postscript for Einstein. The Dutch mathematician Luitzen E. J. Brouwer (1881–1966), Professor of Mathematics at the University of Amsterdam, was appointed to the editorial board as an associate editor (Mitwirkender Redakteur) in 1914, along with Carathéodory, who became a principal editor in 1924, following the resignation of Felix Klein. [3] Because Einstein refused to support Hilbert’s action, the final version of the letter to Brouwer, dated 25 October 1928, began as follows: “Because it is not possible for me to work with you owing to the incompatibility of our views on fundamental questions, I have requested authority from the members of the managing editorial board of Mathematische Annalen and have received this authority from the gentlemen Blumenthal and Carathéodory, to inform you,…” (Rowe and Felsch 2019, p. 282). In a detailed report (Abs. 751) to the editorial board on the events that immediately followed, the man- aging editor, Otto Blumenthal, reproduced this letter in full. He noted, however, that Brouwer never opened it after learning of its contents from Carathéodory, who visited him in his home in the village of Laren on 30 October. [4] Brouwer’s efforts to promote a German counter-boycott of the International Congress of Math- ematicians held in Bologna was, however, supported by prominent mathematicians in Berlin, above all by Ludwig Bieberbach. See Rowe and Felsch 2019, pp. 249–257. [5] This refers especially to Brouwer’s role in denouncing Paul Painlevé, who had offered to con- tribute a paper for the special issue of Mathematische Annalen commemorating the centenary of Bernhard Riemann’s birth. For Einstein’s role in this abortive effort to solicit papers from French authors, see the Introduction, sec. VIII. See also Rowe and Felsch 2019, pp. 200–216. [6] Felix Klein (1849–1925) had been Professor of Mathematics at the University of Göttingen. [7] Hilbert had long before signaled his desire to consolidate control of Mathematische Annalen in Göttingen see Hilbert to Blumenthal, 18 November 1925, in Rowe and Felsch 2019, pp. 240–241. [8] Hilbert suffered from pernicious anemia, which the American researchers George Minot and William Murphy determined could be treated by consuming large quantities of liver. Hilbert was able to take advantage of a liver extract that was fifty to one hundred times more potent than liver itself (Reid 1970, pp. 179–180). [9] Besides Bieberbach, these included his Berlin colleagues Richard von Mises and Erhard Schmidt (Mehrtens 1987).