128
DOCS. 168-170 JUNE-JULY
1909
Until October
I will still be
working
here
at
the Patent
Office,
which
means
eight
office
hours
daily. Beginning
in
October,
I will have to
lecture
on
theoretical
physics
at
the
University
of
Zurich.[2]
Since I have little
teaching experience,
it would be
outright
unconscionable of
me
to
take
on
additional
responsibilities
before
having
settled
down
in
my
new
profession.
Added
to
this
are
the
difficulties
concerning
the
subject
matter
itself. I
cannot
imagine
how this
subject
can
be
made
accessible to
a
wider audience. The
comprehen-
sion
of
this
subject
requires
a
certain
schooling
in
abstract
thinking,
which most
people
do
not acquire
because
they are
not
in
need of
it.
I should also
add that
in his
new
book[3]
H. A.
Lorentz
has
treated the
relativity
theory quite
thoroughly-as I
infer
from
the
book's
table
of
contents. I do
not
doubt that
he
treated
the
subject
masterfully
and
comprehensively,
and also
as
simply
as
possible.
If
you
take
all this
into
consideration,
you
will
surely
not hold it
against
me
that
I
cannot accept your
offer
at
present.[4]
Respectfully
yours,
A.
Einstein
169.
To the
Swiss
Department
of Justice
Bern, 6
July
1909
To the Federal
Department
of Justice and
Police,
Bern
Highly
esteemed
Mr.
Federal
Councillor:[1]
The
undersigned
has
been
appointed
Professor
of
Theoretical
Physics
at
the
University
of Zurich
by
the Zurich Cantonal
Council and has
accepted
this
appointment.[2]
For that
reason
he
requests
that
you
release
him from his current
position
as
Technical
Expert
at
the
Patent
Office effective
15
October
1909.[3]
Respectfully,
A.
Einstein
170.
To
Lucien and
Jeanne
Chavan-Perrin
[Geneva,
9 July
1909][1]
Dear
Mr.
Chavan
&
esteemed
Mrs.
Chavan:
I
send
you
cordial
greetings
from
hospitable
Geneva. I
am
charmed
by
the
friendliness
&
kindness that the
people
show
me.
Until
we
meet
again, yours
A.
Einstein
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