DOCUMENT 406 JUNE 1912 481 [2]Felix Kaufler, on an extended leave of absence from his position as Privatdozent in chem- istry at the ETH (see Doc. 183, note 2), took a position with the Bosnian Electrical Society in Vienna (see Felix Kaufler to Robert Gnehm, 21 May 1912, SzZE Schulratsarchiv 1912, Akten, no. 576) and withdrew from his position at the ETH in the first half of June (see Felix Kaufler to Robert Gnehm, 9 June 1912, SzZE Schulratsarchiv 1912, Akten, no. 661). [3]Einstein had just published two papers on the static gravitational field (Einstein 1912c and 1912d [Vol. 4, Docs. 3 and 4]) and was trying to extend his results to the nonstatic case (see below). In summer semester 1912 Einstein lectured on the molecular theory of heat (three hours a week to eleven students and four auditors) and on the mechanics of continua (two hours a week to ten students and four auditors), as well as conducting seminar discussions Friday evenings for seven students and one auditor (see Prag Ordnung 1912a, pp. 57 and 75, and Verzeichnis der Hörer an der philosophischen Fakultät der Prager Deutschen Universität (Nationale), S.S. 1912, CzPCU). [4]Einstein received an appointment to the ETH in Zurich at the end of January (see Doc. 355). [5]Heinrich Zangger was informed at the end of February that H. A. Lorentz wanted Einstein as his successor at the University of Leyden (see Doc. 366). [6]Einstein held discussions with Emil Warburg in Berlin on 15 April and again four or five days later (see the "Scratch Notebook" [Vol. 3, Appendix A], [p. 58] and [p. 36] respectively, and Doc. 377). On these occasions they discussed an invitation to join the Physikalisch-Tech- nische Reichsanstalt, of which Warburg was the President. Einstein declined the invitation (see Doc. 428). [7]In the spring of the previous year, three physicists at the University of Vienna, including the theoretician Friedrich Hasenöhrl, requested the formation of a commission to look into broadening the university's curriculum in theoretical physics (see the minutes of the meeting, 18 March 1911, AVU, Protokollbuch der philosophischen Fakultät). There is no record in the minutes of further action being taken. [8]Max Abraham see Doc. 343, note 3, for more details on the polemic. [9]See Doc. 401 for more on the dispute with Johannes Stark for an earlier disparaging re- mark by Einstein about Stark, see Doc. 364. [10]A few weeks earlier Abraham had informed Einstein in a letter that he no longer adhered to his own equations of motion for a material point (see Docs. 395 and 398). [11]Otto Sackur (1880-1914) was Professor of Chemistry at the University of Breslau. The publication is Sackur 1912. [12]Max Born Theodor von Kärmän Peter Debye. See Born and von Kdrman 1912 and De- bye 1912a. [13]Laue sent a photogram (a photographic image generated without the use of a camera) showing that X-rays give rise to interference phenomena when diffracted by crystals to Ein- stein about this time (see the following two documents). The results were published as Friedrich, Knipping, and Laue 1912. See also Laue 1912 for a further elaboration and Ewald 1962, chap. 4, and Wheaton 1983, pp. 199-204, for historical accounts. [14]Einstein apparently learned of H. F. Weber's death from a eulogy sent to him by Alfred Stern (see the preceding document). Einstein's feelings of ill will toward Weber stemmed from his conviction that Weber had thwarted his career more than a decade earlier (see Doc. 200, note 2 and Einstein to Mileva Marid, 23 March and 27 March 1901 [Vol. 1, Docs. 93 and 94], and Einstein to Marcel Grossmann, 14 April 1901 [Vol. 1, Doc. 100]). [15]Weber had taught theoretical electrotechnology and physics in the mechanical engineer- ing department of the ETH. Burdened with a heavy course load, he had been unable sufficiently to incorporate into the electrotechnology curriculum recent experimental advances, especially in the area of the construction of electrical machines (Elektromaschinenbau). On Weber's
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