. Einstein, “Fundamental Ideas and Problems of the Theory of Relativity,” Nobel lecture, July 11, 1923.
15
. Einstein to Hans Albert and Eduard Einstein, Dec. 22, 1922, AEA 75-620.
The full story of the Nobel money was complex and over the years caused considerable disputes, as became clear in letters between Einstein and Mari
released in 2006. According to the divorce agreement, the Nobel money was to go to a Swiss bank account. Mari
was supposed to have use of the interest, but she could spend the capital only with Einstein’s consent. In 1923, after consultation with a financial adviser, Einstein decided to place only part of the money in Switzerland and have the rest invested in an American account. That scared Mari
and caused frictions that were calmed by friends. With Einstein’s consent she bought a Zurich apartment house in 1924 using the Swiss money and a big loan. The rents covered the loan payments, as well as the maintenance of the house and a part of the family’s livelihood. Two years later, again with Einstein’s consent, Mari
bought two more houses using another 40,000 Swiss francs from the Nobel money and an additional loan. The two new houses turned out to be bad investments and had to be sold to avoid endangering ownership of the first house, where Mari
lived with Eduard. In the meantime, the Great Depression in America reduced the value of the account and investments made there. Einstein continued to pay considerable sums to Mari
and Eduard, but Mari
’s fears for her financial security were understandable. At the end of the 1930s, Einstein created a holding company to buy from Mari
the remaining apartment house, where she still lived, and to take over her debts in order to save the house from being repossessed by the bank. Mari
could continue to live in the same apartment and receive the excess rental proceeds. In addition, Einstein sent a monthly contribution for Eduard’s support. This arrangement lasted until the late 1940s, when Mileva was no longer able to care for the house and the income from the rents no longer covered the expenses. With Einstein’s consent Mari
sold the house but not the right to her apartment. The money from that sale was eventually found under Mari
’s mattress. Some critics have accused Einstein of allowing Mari
to die impoverished. Although Mari
at times certainly felt impoverished, Einstein did try to protect her and Eduard from financial worries, not only by paying what he was obliged to pay, but also by subsidizing their living expenses. I am grateful to Barbara Wolff of the Hebrew University Einstein archives for help researching this topic. See also Alexis Schwarzenbach,
(Berlin: DVA, 2003).
16
. Einstein to Heinrich Zangger, Dec. 6, 1917.
17
. “
the really great discoveries in
physics—with a few exceptions that stand out because of their oddity—have been made by men
