1. To Mileva Einstein-Maric and Hans Albert Einstein
[Zurich, 10 January 1919]
Liebe Mileva und lieber Albert
Euer Brief hat mich sehr gefreut. Ich will auf die Angelegenheit mit dem raren
Vogelfutter gern
zurückkommen,[1]
wenn ich wieder nach Zürich komme. Einst-
weilen (bis zum 19.) muss ich in geschäftlicher Angelegenheit
verreisen.[2]
Wenn
ichs einrichten kann, gehe ich für ein paar Tage zu Tete nach
Arosa.[3]
Als gestern
Adn mit dem Brief ankam, war ich
zuhause,[4]
aber man suchte nicht richtig nach
mir. In 2 Stunden geht mein Zug ab. Mit der Gesundheit geht es mir übrigens un-
vergleichlich besser als letztes
Jahr[5]
Einstweilen wünscht Euch gute Tage Euer
Papa bezw. Albert.
AKSX. [75 767]. The verso is addressed “Mileva Einstein Gloriastr. 59 Zürich,” and postmarked
“Zürich 1 Briefexpedition 10.I.1919.”
[1]A meal that Einstein had characterized as “bird feed” eighteen months earlier was described by
a colleague as consisting of a small bowl of rice boiled in milk and sugar. Einstein had been put on
this special diet after developing an abdominal ulcer in late 1917 (see Einstein to Hans Albert Ein-
stein, 25 January 1918 [Vol. 8, Doc. 442], especially notes 2 and 4).
[2]Contrary to earlier planning, Einstein had changed his travel schedule for this trip to Switzer-
land. In mid-December 1918, Einstein had announced he would arrive in Zurich on 1 February 1919,
where he would immediately start a cycle of twenty-four lectures on the theory of relativity at the Uni-
versity of Zurich (see Einstein to Heinrich Mousson, 17 December 1918 [Vol. 8, Doc. 674] and Aus-
zug aus dem Protokoll des Erziehungsrates des Kantons Zürich, 23 December 1918, SzZU, ABF
Einstein, Lehrauftrag 1918–19). A few days later, on 23 December 1918, he anticipated being
unavailable for a deposition in his divorce proceedings, scheduled for 3 January 1919 in Berlin (see
Deposition in Divorce Proceedings, 23 December 1918 [Vol. 8, Doc. 676]). On 27 December 1918 he
wrote to Felix Klein that he “had to travel for a month” (“Leider muss ich für einen Monat verreisen”;
see Einstein to Felix Klein, 27 December 1918 [Vol. 8, Doc. 677]). His lecture course at the University
of Berlin during the winter semester was originally scheduled to continue through January, yet his
notes for that course stop at 21 December, followed by a mere mention of the date for the next sched-
uled lecture of 4 January. There is no indication that this lecture was actually given (see Vol. 7,
Doc. 12, p. 91, and note 20).
By 9 January Einstein had already arrived in Zurich. He offered to begin his lectures at the Uni-
versity of Zurich as early as 20 January (see Proclamation of Erziehungs-Direktion des Kantons
Zürich, 9 January 1919, SzZU, Rektorats-Archiv, No. 208-10), the official date for the reopening of
the university which had been closed down “due to a recess caused by the heating shortage” (“infolge
Heizferien”; Doc. 5). Einstein may have arrived in Zurich even earlier than that, not knowing a recess
was in effect. In fact, he had hoped to be able to begin his lectures by the start of January, since in
Doc. 5 he mentions that his stay in Zurich would be three weeks longer than anticipated because of
the recess.
The reason for Einstein’s changing travel schedule and the “geschäftliche Angelegenheit” may
well be connected with the financial agreements reached among Einstein, his brother-in-law, Paul
Winteler, and his uncle, Jacob Koch, around 20 January concerning shares held in common (see entry
for this date in Calendar).
[3]In spring 1917, Eduard (nicknamed “Tete”) had been placed in Höhwald (Höchwald) Sanato-
rium in Arosa (see, e.g., Heinrich Zangger to Einstein, 20 May 1917 [Vol. 8, Doc. 342]). Though he