DOCUMENT 264 APRIL 1911 291 [8]The Institute of Theoretical Physics of the German University was housed in the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Vinicnä/Weinberggasse 3, third floor (see Adresäf Prague 1910) (now Vinicnä 7). Einstein had an enormous, bright office with four high windows and a view onto a park belonging to the state insane asylum (see Frank P. 1949a, pp. 142-143). [9]Anton Lampa. [10]Edmund Weiß was Assistent in physics at the German University. The oblique reference is to Professor Pierre Weiss of the ETH. [11]Felix Ehrenhaft (1879-1952), a Privatdozent in physics at the University of Vienna, claimed to have found evidence for the existence of subelectronic charges in his experimental investigations of the mobility of charged metal particles in an electric field (see Ehrenhaft 1910a, 1910b, 1910c, 1911a, 1911b). Weiß showed that one of Ehrenhaft's key assumptions, namely that the metal particles followed Stokes's law, was not justified (see Weiß, E. 1911). Einstein drew attention to Weiß's results in a discussion remark following the lecture by Jean Perrin to the Solvay Congress in the fall of 1911 (see Perrin et al. 1914, p. 206 Perrin et al. 1912, p. 251 [Vol. 3, Doc. 25]). For general background to the dispute that followed Ehren- haft's announcement of his discovery, see Holton 1978. [12]David Reichinstein (1882-1955) had recently completed his Habilitationsschrift in physical chemistry at the University of Zurich and was named Privatdozent at the end of May (see Hans Schinz to Heinrich Ernst, Regierungsrat, 23 May 1911, SzZSa, U 110 d .2 (101)) Reichinstein began attending meetings of a physics colloquium directed by Einstein in 1910 and, with other participants, regularly accompanied him afterward to a caf6 to continue discus- sion (see Reichinstein 1935, p. 25). Hans Tanner (1886-1961), a former student of Einstein's at the same institution (see Doc. 210), had begun his doctoral work under Einstein's supervision in autumn 1910 (see Tan- ner 1912, pp. 53-54). Einstein suggested that Tanner accompany him to Prague as his Assistent (see Tanner's reminiscence in Seelig 1960, p. 176). [13]Einstein stopped in Munich on the way to Prague (see Doc. 261). Peter Debye was ap- pointed Einstein's successor as Extraordinary Professor of Physics at the University of Zurich on 8 April, effective 15 April (see Aus dem Protokoll des Regierungsrates 1911, no. 683, 8 April 1911, SzZSa, U 110 b .2 (48)). [14]Einstein judged Debye to be in the first rank with regard to his promise as a theoretician (see Alfred Kleiner memorandum on the chair of theoretical physics, after 14 March 1911, SzZSa, U 110 a). [15]Arnold Sommerfeld. Einstein noted Sommerfeld's Munich address in his "Scratch Note- book" (Vol. 3, Appendix A), [p. 35]: "Leopoldstr. 27/3," which should be "Leopoldstr. 87/3" (see Adreßbuch München 1910). [16]Lucien Chavan. [17]Karl Schild, CHAVAN's immediate superior at the Swiss Telegraph Administration. "Oberstöpsler" is a Bavarian expression for "sehr unfähiger Mensch." For an earlier negative assessment of Schild by Einstein, see Doc. 200. [18]Luigi Vanoni. Einstein expressed his intention of writing him on Chavan's behalf two days earlier (see the preceding document). 264. To Paul Ehrenfest Prag. 12. IV. 11 Hoch geehrter Herr Kollege![1] Entschuldigen Sie bitte, dass ich so lange Ihrem Ansuchen nicht entspre- che. Ihr Brief traf mich gerade beim Umzug nach Prag.[2] Alle Abhandlungen waren bereits verpackt, und ich habe bis heute meine Sachen noch nicht be-