D O C U M E N T 3 1 8 N O V E M B E R 1 9 2 8 4 8 5 instincts, since Brouwer and Bieberbach had merely called for a transparent process in which all members of the editorial board would be able to vote on Hilbert’s proposal for his dismissal. The Göt- tingen faction realized that Hilbert’s proposal would never carry the support of the full board. How- ever, since Springer stood fully behind Hilbert, the liberals had good reason to believe they would prevail in the end. [5] He suffered from pernicious anemia. [6] Hilbert was working on his proof-theoretic program of securing the foundation of mathematics. [7] Born’s information probably came from Courant, who, as a member of the board, was privy to the information imparted in Abs. 751. [8] Born’s views in this passage closely accord with those expressed by Blumenthal in Abs. 751. [9] Hasso Härlen confirmed the strain on Hilbert’s health during the Bologna Congress and reported about it to Brouwer. See Rowe and Felsch 2019, p. 272. [10] Erhard Schmidt (1876–1959), Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Berlin, together with Ludwig Bieberbach (1886–1982), Professor of Mathematics at the University of Berlin, and Richard von Mises, supported Brouwer’s call for a counter-boycott of the Bologna Congress. [11] Richard von Mises (1883–1953) was appointed in 1921 to a new professorship in applied math- ematics at Berlin University. In the same year, he founded the journal Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik. [12] See the Introduction, sec. VIII Springer’s document is reproduced in Rowe and Felsch 2019, pp. 292–294. [13] Margot Einstein. Hedwig Born-Ehrenberg. [14] Born and Jordan 1930. 318. To Henri Barbusse[1] [Berlin,] den 25. November 28 Verehrter Herr Barbusse, Ich brauche Ihnen wohl nicht besonders zu sagen, dass ich bedingungsloser Antifascist bin. Ich glaube aber nicht, dass mit einem Kongress sich etwas erspriessliches wird erreichen lassen, da im allgemeinen erns[te] Menschen sich von solchen geräuschvollen Angelegenheiten fernzuhalten pflegen.[2] Ich würde es für viel wichtiger halten, der Welt zu zeigen, durch eine sorgfältig geführte Samm- lung von Namen und Aussprüchen bedeutender Zeitgenossen, dass die als wertvoll anerkannten Menschen in ihrer ganz überwiegenden Mehrzahl gegen Gegner dens Fascismus, d.h. der Politik autoritativer und verantwortungsfreier Zwangs- herrschaft sind.— Es grüsst Sie freundlichst Ihr ergebener TLC. [34 526]. Cropped. [1] Barbusse (1873–1935) was a French novelist, left-wing ideologue, and member of the French Communist Party. [2] For Barbusse’s request for Einstein’s opinion on the planned international antifascist confer- ence, see Abs. 729. Einstein had previously agreed to be named one of the honorary presidents of the “first great anti-Fascist meeting” held in Paris in February 1927 (see Rolland 1935, p. 46), but did not attend.
Previous Page Next Page