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Albert Einstein collection, 1896-1955 | Brandeis University

By Steven Butzel

Collection Overview

Title: Albert Einstein collection, 1896-1955Add to your cart.

Predominant Dates:1896-1955

ID: 00/MWalB02025

Creator: Einstein, Albert (1879-1955)

Extent: 1.0 Linear Feet. More info below.

Arrangement:

Arranged in four series: 1. Einstein, Albert-Stephen Wise Correspondence, 1934-1949; 2.  Einstein Family Correspondence, 1896-1937; 3. Non-family Correspondence, 1902-1952; 4. Personal Materials, 1934, undated.

For more information about each series, please consult the series descriptions in the box and folder listing.

Languages: English, German

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The materials in this collection were created from 1896 through 1952. The majority is personal and professional correspondence, including a large number of letters from Einstein to American Jewish leader Stephen Wise. There are also several letters from prominent scientists such as Fritz Haber, Paul Habicht, Hendrik Lorentz, Max Planck, and Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen, and two items from German playwright Gerhart Hauptmann. In most cases, the correspondence consists of original signed copies written in German or English. In addition to correspondence, there is a small number of other items such as canceled checks signed by Einstein, photographs, autograph books, translated quotations, a handwritten and signed speech, and text from a possible manuscript.

Biographical Note

Theoretical physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955) was born in Ulm, Germany, the son of Hermann and Pauline Koch Einstein.

From 1902-1909, he worked at the Swiss patent office in Bern, and, in his free time, completed an impressive range of publications in theoretical physics, including his theory of relativity. Ultimately, these papers helped him earn a Ph.D and an appointment as associate professor of physics at the University of Zurich.

In 1903, Einstein married Mileva Maric (1875-1948), with whom he had three children. They would later get divorced in 1919, after which Einstein married his cousin Elsa Einstein Lowenthal (1876-1936.)

By 1909, Einstein was widely considered throughout German-speaking Europe as a leading scientific thinker. From 1914-1933, he served as director of scientific research at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Physics, during which time he was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for his discovery of the law of the photo-electric effect.

In 1933, Einstein was appointed professor at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University. While he initially planned to split time between Europe and the United States, Einstein chose to resettle permanently in the United States due to increasing anti-Semitism in Europe and the rise of the Nazi party in Germany. From the United States, Einstein continued to actively oppose the Nazi regime and expressed his ideas and concerns for European Jews in frequent speeches and writings, including correspondence with American Jewish leaders such as Stephen Wise. Concerned with the destructive potential of the German military, Einstein diverged from his pacifist roots by writing a letter in 1939 to United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt recommending that the United States develop an atomic bomb before Germany did.

At war's end, Einstein became involved in Zionist efforts to create a Jewish homeland. He was also an advocate for a number of causes including his objection in the 1950s to the House Committee on Un-American Activities and his efforts toward nuclear disarmament.

Einstein died in 1955.

Administrative Information

Alternate Extent Statement: 1 record center box

Access Restrictions: Access to the collection is in accordance with the policies of the Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections Department, Brandeis University.  Please contact the department for more information.

Use Restrictions: Requests to reproduce or publish material from the collection should be directed to the Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections Department, Brandeis University.

Related Materials: Also see letters from Albert Einstein in the Autograph collection.

Preferred Citation: Albert Einstein collection, Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections, Brandeis University

Box and Folder Listing


Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Einstein, Albert-Stephen Wise Correspondence, 1934-1949],
[Series 2: Einstein Family Correspondence, 1896-1937],
[Series 3: Non-family Correspondence, 1902-1952],
[Series 4: Personal Materials, 1934, undated],
[All]

Series 1: Einstein, Albert-Stephen Wise Correspondence, 1934-1949Add to your cart.
The correspondence discusses strategic advocacy against anti-Semitic developments in Germany and Europe, ongoing developments within the American Jewish community, and invitations to social events and other personal courtesies.
Folder 1: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, January 10, 1934Add to your cart.
Folder 2: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, January 17, 1934Add to your cart.
Folder 3: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, June 9, 1934Add to your cart.
Folder 4: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, July 3, 1934Add to your cart.
Folder 5: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, September 26, 1934Add to your cart.
Folder 6: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, November 13, 1934Add to your cart.
Folder 7: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, January 2, 1935Add to your cart.
Folder 8: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, February 16, 1935Add to your cart.
Folder 9: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, September 11, 1935Add to your cart.
Folder 10: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, September 25, 1935Add to your cart.
Folder 11: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, December 6, 1935Add to your cart.
Folder 12: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, December 13, 1935Add to your cart.
Folder 13: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, December 28, 1935Add to your cart.
Folder 14: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, January 7, 1936Add to your cart.
Folder 15: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, February 10, 1936Add to your cart.
Folder 16: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, March 1, 1936Add to your cart.
Folder 17: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, March 5, 1936Add to your cart.
Folder 18: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, August 19, 1936Add to your cart.
Folder 19: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, November 1, 1936Add to your cart.
Folder 20: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, April 19, 1938Add to your cart.
Folder 21: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, June 2, 1938Add to your cart.
Folder 22: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, May 9, 1939Add to your cart.
Folder 23: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, October 2, 1939Add to your cart.
Folder 24: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, December 9, 1939Add to your cart.
Folder 25: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, July 1, 1940Add to your cart.
Folder 26: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, December 20, 1940Add to your cart.
Folder 27: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, January 28, 1941Add to your cart.
Folder 28: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, February 9, 1941Add to your cart.
Folder 29: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, February 15, 1941Add to your cart.
Folder 30: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, March 12, 1941Add to your cart.
Folder 31: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, April 12, 1941Add to your cart.
Folder 32: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, June 18, 1941Add to your cart.
Folder 33: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, July 16, 1941Add to your cart.
Folder 34: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, October 18, 1941Add to your cart.
Folder 35: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, December 8, 1941Add to your cart.
Folder 36: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, December 15, 1941Add to your cart.
Folder 37: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, April 20, 1943Add to your cart.
Folder 38: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, April 29, 1943Add to your cart.
Folder 39: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, February 12, 1945Add to your cart.
Folder 40: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, February 16, 1945Add to your cart.
Folder 41: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, June 26, 1946Add to your cart.
Folder 42: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, June 29, 1946Add to your cart.
Folder 43: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, July 1, 1946Add to your cart.
Folder 44: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, October 6, 1946Add to your cart.
Folder 45: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, October 22, 1946Add to your cart.
Folder 46: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, February 16, 1947Add to your cart.
Folder 47: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, March 15, 1948Add to your cart.
Folder 48: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, April 26, 1948Add to your cart.
Folder 49: Einstein, Albert to Stephen Wise, February 17, 1949Add to your cart.
Series 2: Einstein Family Correspondence, 1896-1937Add to your cart.
The correspondence is to or from Albert Einstein and his family members, including his first wife, Mileva Maric-Einstein, his second wife, Elsa Einstein, his sister Maria Einstein Winteler, his step-daughters Ilsa Einstein Kayser and Margot Einstein Marianoff, and his stepson-in-law Dmitri Marianoff. In addition, there is correspondence from Elsa Einstein to Rudolph and Ilsa Kayser, and Dmitri Marianoff.
Folder 50: Alice(?) to Dmitri Marianoff, June 3, 1933Add to your cart.
Folder 51: Director of Tobacco Control to Dmitri Marianoff, May 1, 1933Add to your cart.
Folder 52: Dukas, Helen to Margot [Einstein] Marianoff, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 53: Einstein, Albert to Ilsa Einstein, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 54: Einstein, Albert to Mileva Einstein, July 26, 1904Add to your cart.
Folder 55: Einstein, Albert to Dmitri Marianoff, August 23, 1933Add to your cart.
Folder 56: Einstein, Albert to Dmitri Marianoff, January 11, 1936Add to your cart.
Folder 57: Einstein, Albert to Dmitri Marianoff, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 58: Einstein, Albert to Margot Marianoff, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 59: Einstein, Elsa (?) to Rudolph and Ilsa Kayser, November 7, 1933Add to your cart.
Folder 60: Einstein, Elsa (?) to Ilsa Kayser, December 3, 1933Add to your cart.
Folder 61: Einstein, Elsa (?) to Ilsa Kayser, February 12, 1934Add to your cart.
Folder 62: Einstein, Elsa (?) to Dmitri Marianoff, August 30, 1933Add to your cart.
Folder 63: Einstein, Elsa (?) to Dmitri Marianoff, September 16, 1934Add to your cart.
Folder 64: Einstein, Elsa (?) to Dmitri Marianoff, November 12, 1934Add to your cart.
Folder 65: Einstein, Elsa (?) to Dmitri Marianoff, July 22, 1935Add to your cart.
Folder 66: Einstein, Elsa (?) to Dmitri Marianoff, July 22, 1935Add to your cart.
Folder 67: Einstein, Elsa (?) to Dmitri Marianoff, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 68: Einstein, Elsa (?) to Dmitri Marianoff, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 69: Einstein, Elsa (?) to Dmitri Marianoff, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 70: Einstein, Elsa (?) to Dmitri Marianoff, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 71: Einstein, Elsa (?) to Dmitri Marianoff, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 72: Einstein, Elsa (?) to Dmitri Marianoff, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 73: Einstein, Elsa (?) to Dmitri Marianoff, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 74: Einstein, Elsa (?) to Dmitri Marianoff, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 75: Einstein, Elsa (?) to Dmitri Marianoff, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 76: Einstein, Elsa (?) to Dmitri Marianoff, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 77: Einstein, Elsa (?) to Dmitri Marianoff, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 78: Einstein, Elsa (?) and Marianoff, Margot to Dmitri Marianoff, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 79: Einstein, Elsa (?) to Kalie (?), undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 80: Einstein, Mileva to Albert Einstein, August 28, 1903Add to your cart.
Folder 81: Einstein, Mileva to Albert Einstein, Novermber 5, 1915Add to your cart.
Folder 82: Einstein, Margot to Dmitri Marianoff, October 11, 1937Add to your cart.
Folder 83: Einstein, Margot to Dmitri Marianoff, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 84: Einstein, Margot to Dmitri Marianoff, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 85: Winteler, Marie (Einstein) to ?, November 30, 1896Add to your cart.
Folder 86: Winteler, Marie (Einstein) to ?, undatedAdd to your cart.
Series 3: Non-family Correspondence, 1902-1952Add to your cart.
This series includes correspondence to or from Albert Einstein. Several incoming letters are from prominent scientists such as Fritz Haber, Paul Habicht, Hendrik Lorentz, Max Planck, and Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen. There are also two items from the German playwright Gerhart Hauptmann.
Folder 87: Einstein, Albert to V.T. Aaltonen, May 7, 1952Add to your cart.
Folder 88: Einstein, Albert to Louis Dembitz Brandeis, January 7, 1936Add to your cart.
Folder 89: Einstein, Albert to Herr Bulgakow, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 90: Einstein, Albert to Bernard Kahn, et al, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 91: Einstein, Albert to ' Lieber Lebach 'chen, July 5, 1935Add to your cart.
Folder 92: Einstein, Albert to "Renouveau", September 26, 1934Add to your cart.
Folder 93: Einstein, Albert to Herr Rosenberg, March 19, 1935Add to your cart.
Folder 94: Einstein, Albert to Herr Solf, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 95: Einstein, Albert to Louise Wise, March 5, 1935Add to your cart.
Folder 96: Einstein, Albert to Louise Wise, March 9, 1935Add to your cart.
Folder 97: Einstein, Albert to Louise Wise, January 22, 1939Add to your cart.
Folder 98: Einstein, Albert to Louise Wise, October 11, 1940Add to your cart.
Folder 99: Einstein, Albert to ?, August 13, 1933Add to your cart.
Folder 100: Einstein, Albert to ?, March 17, 1934Add to your cart.
Folder 101: Engels, ? to Albert Einstein (?), November 5, 1915Add to your cart.
Folder 102: De Gourmont to Maximiliein Schick, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 103: Haber, Fritz to Albert Einstein, December 19, 1911Add to your cart.
Folder 104: Haber, Fritz to Albert Einstein, March 8, 1912Add to your cart.
Folder 105: Habicht, Paul to Albert Einstein, April 4, 1908Add to your cart.
Folder 106: Habicht, Paul to Albert Einstein, May 17, 1908Add to your cart.
Folder 107: Habicht, Paul to Albert Einstein, January 18, 1909Add to your cart.
Folder 108: Habicht, Paul to Albert Einstein, December 27, 1911Add to your cart.
Folder 109: Hagenbush, A. (?) to Albert Einstein, July 9, 1908Add to your cart.
Folder 110: Hauptmann, Gerhart to Albert Einstein (?), 1934Add to your cart.
Folder 111: Hauptmann, Gerhart to Albert Einstein, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 112: Herzog, Rudolph to Albert Einstein (?), April 9, 1913Add to your cart.
Folder 113: Hofmann, Ludwig to ?, June 19, 1904Add to your cart.
Folder 114: Jaffous, ? to Albert Einstein (?), undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 115: Justice and Police Department of the Swiss Government to Albert Einstein, June 19, 1902Add to your cart.
Folder 116: Lilien, E.M. to ?, September 22, 1906Add to your cart.
Folder 117: Lorentz, H. A. to Albert Einstein, May 6, 1909Add to your cart.
Folder 118: Lorentz, H. A. to Albert Einstein, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 119: Mann, ? to Maximilien Schick, June 21, 1906Add to your cart.
Folder 120: Morgenstern, C. to Maximilien Schick, May 31, 1906Add to your cart.
Folder 121: Muther, Richard to ?, December 15, 1904Add to your cart.
Folder 122: Planck, Max to Albert Einstein, November 9, 1907Add to your cart.
Folder 123: Roentgen, W.C. to Albert Einstein, September 18, 1906Add to your cart.
Folder 124: Unidentified to ?, May 15, 1906Add to your cart.
Folder 125: Wassermann, Jakob to Lother Brieger-Hasservoget, May 22, 1906Add to your cart.
Folder 126: Zsarusky, ? to Herr Polick (?), September 25, 1906Add to your cart.
Series 4: Personal Materials, 1934, undatedAdd to your cart.
This series contains a mixture of unrelated items including two autograph books (one of which contains Albert Einstein's signature), two typed translations of comments made by Albert Einstein, some photographs, a poem, the text of a speech, and some handwritten notes that may not be in Albert Einstein's handwriting.
Folder 127: Autograph book, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 128: Autograph book with Albert Einstein's signature, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 129: Cheque, half of, Albert Einstein, 1934Add to your cart.
Folder 130: Cheque, half of, Albert Einstein, 1934Add to your cart.
Folder 131: Excerpt from "The Drama of Albert Einstein", undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 132: Manuscript, author unknown, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 133: Notes, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 134: Photographs, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 135: Poem typed and initialed by Albert Einstein, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 136: Speech signed by Albert Einstein, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 137: Translated quotations, Albert Einstein, undatedAdd to your cart.

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Einstein, Albert-Stephen Wise Correspondence, 1934-1949],
[Series 2: Einstein Family Correspondence, 1896-1937],
[Series 3: Non-family Correspondence, 1902-1952],
[Series 4: Personal Materials, 1934, undated],
[All]

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