D O C U M E N T S 1 1 0 , 1 1 1 S E P T E M B E R 1 9 1 9 1 6 7
Sitter, who had suffered a bout of tuberculosis in 1917 (see Willem de Sitter to Einstein, 1 April 1917
[Vol. 8, Doc. 321]), had joined him there; Ejnar Hertzsprung (1873–1967) had been Observator at the
Astrophysical Observatory in Potsdam, now deputy director of the observatory at the University of
Leyden.
[11]A sum originally left with Einstein by Wander de Haas toward the transport of his furniture (see
Doc. 36).
110. From Hendrik A. Lorentz
[The Hague, 22 September 1919]
eddington fand
sternverscheidung[1]
am sonnenrand vorlaeufig
grusse[2]
zwi-
schen neun zehntel sekunde und
doppeltem[3]
Lorentz
Tgm. [16 478]. The telegram is addressed “prof einstein huberlandstrasze 5 berlin” with secondary
postmark “Berlin, W 30 22.9.19. 1–N[achmittags].”
[1]“sternverscheidung” should be “Sternverschiebung.”
[2]“grusse” should be “Grösse.”
[3]At a meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science held at Bournemouth,
Arthur S. Eddington, on 12 September 1919, reported on the solar eclipse expeditions to Sobral and
Principe Island and quoted preliminary results based on the photographs obtained at the latter loca-
tion. Accounts of Eddington’s presentation were published in the October issue of The Observatory
(42 (1919): 361–366), where, however, no numbers were quoted, as well as in the 1 January 1920
issue of Nature (104 (1920), pp. 454f) and in Report 1920, pp. 156–157, where Eddington is described
as quoting “a deflection between the two theoretically possible values 0.87″ and 1.75″.” Lorentz was
informed of Eddington’s report through personal communication by Balthasar van der Pol (1889–
1959), Conservator of Teyler’s Institute (Haarlem), who participated in the meeting (see Doc. 127).
Einstein drafted a reply on the verso of this telegram (“Prof. Lorentz. Haarlem. Herzlichen Dank
Ihnen und Eddington Grüsse Einstein”; see entry of 22 September 1919 or later in Calendar).
Based on the telegram, Einstein made a brief announcement of these results in Die Naturwissen-
schaften (Einstein 1919d [Vol. 7, Doc. 23]).
For further discussion of the eclipse expeditions and their results, see the Introduction, sec. III.
111. From Paul Oppenheim
Frankfurt a/M, Guiollettstrasse 46. den 25. 9. 19.
Mein verehrter, lieber Herr Professor,
Die Antwort auf Ihre l. Zeilen kommt leider reichlich verspätet. (Wenigstens et-
was, was an dieser Rückäusserung „reichlich“ ist). Dabei hätte ich gerade mit
Rückblick auf das, was ich sagen werde, den Grundsatz „bis dat qui cito dat“ be-
folgen
sollen.[1]
Der Grund meines Schweigens liegt in dem Besuch meiner Wiener
Verwandten v.
Kuffner,[2]
der vielfache Abwesenheit von Frankfurt & Besprechun-
gen in wichtigsten Familien-Angelegenheiten mit sich brachte. Daher kam es auch,
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