482 DOCUMENT 407 JUNE 1912 death it was decided to reorganize his chair in such a way as to relieve his successor of the obligation of teaching physics, while consolidating instruction in the practical and theoretical aspects of electrotechnology in the same hands. In the search for a successor, emphasis was thus placed on finding someone with "personal practical experience in the design and construc- tion of machines" ("persönliche praktische Erfahrungen im Berechnen und Konstruieren der Maschinen") (see Robert Gnehm to eidg. Departement des Innern, 6 August 1912, SzZE Schul- ratsarchiv 1912, Missiven II, pp. 160-169). Thirty candidates applied for the reorganized po- sition, and in early August Karl Kuhlmann (1877-1963), a former Director of AEG's high-ten- sion laboratory in Berlin, was nominated to succeed Weber (see the minutes of the meeting of 5 August 1912, in SzZE Schulratsarchiv, Protokoll des Schweizerischen Schulrates, no. 101). For evidence that the ETH authorities were already giving serious consideration to the cre- ation of a chair in theoretical electrotechnology in autumn 1911, see Doc. 291, note 2. 407. To Max Laue [Prague, 10 June 1912] Lieber Herr Laue! Ich gratuliere Ihnen herzlich zu Ihrem wunderbaren Erfolge. Ihr Experi- ment gehört zum Schönsten, was die Physik erlebt hat.[1] Sind Sie Ende Juli in München?[2] Wir könnten uns dort sprechen wegen der von Ihnen angedeuteten Einwände.[3] Wenn sich dieselben kurz mitteilen lassen, wäre ich Ihnen für schriftliche Mitteilung dankbar. Auch Herrn Kol- legen Sommerfeld[4] möchte ich gerne sprechen wegen der h-Fragen. Viel- leicht nehme ich mir ein Herz und fahre bald einmal nach München. Mit den besten Grüssen an Sie und Koll. Sommerfeld Ihr A. Einstein. AKS (GyMDM, Handschriften, 1951-4). [16 009]. The verso [16 009.1] is addressed "Herrn Prof. Dr. M. Laue Inst, für theor. Phys. an d. Universität München," and postmarked "[Pr]aha 1 [Prag 1] 10.VI.12-3." Laue's home address is added in another hand: "Bismarckst 22." The postmark is obscured. [1]Laue had recently sent a photogram showing that X-rays cause interference phenomena when diffracted by a crystal (see the following document). For more information on Laue's experiments, see the preceding and following documents. [2]Einstein was planning to return to Zurich via Munich circa 1 August to take up his ETH appointment (see the preceding document). Laue, though a Privatdozent in Munich, was in the midst of negotiations for a position as Extraordinary Professor at the University of Zurich, to which he was appointed in mid-July (see Doc. 398, note 10) and which he assumed in mid- October 1912. [3]Perhaps a reference to Laue's objections to Einstein's work on gravitation. At the end of the previous year Laue had rejected the principle of equivalence (see Doc. 333) and in the sec- ond edition of his monograph on the principle of relativity, the preface to which is dated De- cember 1912, he stated that for a number of reasons he was unable to accept the theories of gravitation of Max Abraham and Einstein (Laue 1913, p. 252). [4]Arnold Sommerfeld.