Beschreibung:

EINSTEIN, Albert (1879-1955). Autograph letter signed ("A. E.") to Antonia Stern, London, 6 October 1933. In German. Two pages, 226 x 175mm, with original transmittal envelope addressed in his hand. As he prepares to depart Europe for the last time for America, Einstein bids farewell to Antonia Stern, and alludes to a romantic affair. A cryptic letter from Einstein, alluding to an apparent romantic liaison with Stern at the Belgian seaside town of De Haan/Le Coq and a conflict (perhaps with Einstein’s daughter Margot) provoked by it: notably, and unusually for Einstein, the letter is couched in the more intimate “Du” form, unlike his previous letters to Stern. "Before I leave tomorrow, I want to send you this greeting, first just for itself, and second so that you should no longer feel wistful about the women’s war [ Weiberkreig ], in which you played such an outstanding role. Dima [Marianoff, husband of Einstein’s stepdaughter Margot] visited us several times here, and besides the important problems with which life so peremptorily confronts us, we also discussed the little drama of Le Coq. He was decidedly of the view that a tender veil must stay spread over it, which I just as tenderly now put into effect. When you see me again only a smile will remain from this, a harmless one, albeit quietly mischievous on my side." He then wishes her good health and hoping that she would add "a little more fat between skin and bones. It makes one feel better, and the world will seem a little more comfortable (which can be useful!)." He then notes that in London, he had a bit of an adventure, having "to speak in front of a giant auditorium on a politically sensitive subject. I was helped to get through this by the remains of childish innocence which Nature (in other ways so cruel) has left to me." On the 4th Einstein delivered a speech on the looming crisis in Europe and the plight of German scientists in Germany at the Albert Hall before an audience of 10,000. Despite death threats directed against him, and under heavy security, he offered his hopes that "liberty and honor of this continent" would be "saved by the Western nations" ( New York Times , 4 October 1933, p. 17). He closes sending "heartfelt greetings to your dear parents and brave sisters." The following day, he boarded the Westmoreland at Southampton, to sail to New York. He would never see Europe again. Precious little is known about this brief liaison between Einstein and Stern, save for rumors repeated in a pair of secondary sources, but this letter is suggestive, especially Einstein’s use of the familiar and intimate form of address "du” in this letter and the letter of 21 December 1933 (see lot 50), as opposed the more formal “sie” he uses to address her in other letters in this series. The only scholarly source that mentions this encounter is Norbert Schmitz's biography, Alfred Stern (1846-1936) Ein europäischer Historiker gegen den Strom der nationalen Geschichtsshreibung (Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Tromsø, 2008) p. 36.