D O C . 1 4 7 F U N E R A L O R AT I O N F O R H . A . L O R E N T Z 1 5 5 147. Funeral Oration for Hendrik A. Lorentz[1] [Einstein 1934a] Dated before 9 February 1928[2] Published 1934 In: Mein Weltbild. Amsterdam: Querido, 1934, p. 25. Speech Given at the Graveside of H. A. Lorentz As the representative of the scholars[3] from German-speaking regions, and in particular of the Prussian Academy of Sciences, but first of all as a student[4] and fond admirer, I am standing here beside the grave of the greatest and noblest of contemporaries.[5] His luminous intellect showed the way from Maxwell’s tenets to the creations[6] of our modern physics, to which he contributed essential compo- nents and methods.[7] He patterned his life like a precious[8] work of art, down to the smallest detail.[9] His never-ending kindness and generosity, his sense of justice combined with his confident intuitive insights[10] into people and relationships made him a natural leader, wherever his influence was felt.[11] Everyone followed him gladly, since they felt that he never wished to dominate, only always to serve. His works and his example will continue to exert their beneficial effects for the enlightenment and the welfare of generations to come.[12]
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