DOCS.
489,
490
MARCH
1918 511
involved
over
there
to
extricate himself.
Why
also must it be
that
his
division,
in
particular,
be
deployed right
at
the
very
front?
This is
a
boundless misfortune
for
us.
Forgive
these
desperate
pleas;
I
am
not
resigned,
I
still rebel
against
fate
and
would like to
save
what
can
be saved.
How
good
that
you
want to
help
me
with
this.
I
am enclosing
two
letters
for
you,
written
to describe him.
With
cordial
regards,
also
to
Mrs.
Einstein,
ever
yours,
Elisabeth
Warburg.
490. From
Georg
Helm[1]
Dresden,
22
March
1918
Highly
esteemed
Professor,
In the
negotiations concerning
the
replacement
for
the
regular professorship
in
philosophy,
made vacant
by
the death
of
Elsenhans,[2]
which
are underway
at
our
Technical
University,
I
turned
my colleagues’
attention
to
Prof.
Josef
Petzoldt
who has for
a
long
time been
working
as
private
lecturer
at
Berlin
University.
From his academic
orientation
and his
manner
of
representation,
I
consider him
particularly
suited to
transmit
the ideas of
philosophy
to the
disciples
of
the
exact
sciences, young
technicians,
and
to
be
a
stimulating
and
intellectually promotive
influence in
our
city’s
wider educated
circles.
Guided
by
a
remark
by Petzoldt,
I
am
turning
to
you
with
the
request
that
you
write
me
an
evaluation of
him[3]
that
I
may
use
in
the
continuing negotiations
and that
will certainly
have
a
very
decisive
influence
on
my
colleagues.
It would
probably
have
to involve
primarily eliminating
the
opposing
view
that
would have
Petzoldt,
who
is
already
of
advanced
age,[4]
seen as an
advocate
of
an
outmoded
line.
When about
ten
years ago
the
same
professorship
was filled,
Mach
himself,
the
physiologist Hering,
and
the
philosopher Schuppe[5]
supported
my
efforts
to
draw
Petzoldt
to
Dresden-in
vain;
the
choice
fell
on
Elsenhans.
Now
that the
old
voices
are silent,
I
hope
that
a
younger generation
will
bring
success.
For
this
I
solicit
your
kind
support!
With
obliging
thanks
for
the
requested
opinion,
respectfully
and
devotedly
yours,
Prof. Helm.