Elsa Einstein
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Elsa Einstein | |
| Born | Elsa Einstein January 18, 1876 Hechingen, Germany |
|---|---|
| Died | December 20, 1936 (aged 60) Princeton, New Jersey |
| Cause of death | A "Painful illness" |
| Residence |  Germany (1876-1933)  USA (1933-1936) |
| Nationality | Germany |
| Religious beliefs | Jewish |
| Spouse | Max Löwenthal (1896-1908) Albert Einstein (1919-1936) |
| Parents | Rudolf Einstein and Fanny (née Koch) |
|
Notes
"I know very well what a talented physician our Albertle is."Einstein’s cousin Elsa in a conversation with Philipp Frank, about 1917
|
|
Elsa Einstein (18 January 1876 - 20 December 1936) was the second wife and cousin of Albert Einstein. She was the daughter of Rudolf Einstein and Fanny (née Koch) and was born in Hechingen, Germany.[1] Mrs. Einstein had the surname of Einstein at birth, lost it when she took the name of her first husband Max Löwenthal, and regained it in 1919 when she married her cousin Albert.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Elsa, the daughter of Rudolf Einstein and Fanny Koch, was born in Hechingen in January 1876.[2] She had two sisters; Paula (1878-c.1955) and Hermine (1872-1942). Rudolf was a textile manufacturer in Hechingen. During the regular visits with the family in Munich she often played with her cousin Albert. In her Swabian dialect she called him “Albertle”.[1] After Albert Einstein had left Germany in 1894 to follow his family to Milan, their ways parted.
[edit] Married life
In 1896 Elsa married textiles trader Max Löwenthal (1864-1914),[2] from Berlin, with whom she had three children: daughters Ilse and Margot and a son who was born and died in 1903.[3] They lived together in Hechingen. In 1902 Max Loewenthal went to Berlin due to hand job-related reasons.[citation needed] His family stayed in Hechingen. She divorced Max on 1908-05-11[2][1] and moved with her two daughters to an apartment above her parents on Haberlandstrasse[2] 5,[citation needed] in Berlin.
She began a relationship with her cousin Albert Einstein at Easter 1912[4] and married him on 1919-06-02.[5] Ilse and Margot, Albert Einstein’s second cousins, had already changed their surname to Einstein and were now also his stepdaughters.[6]
With daughters Ilse and Margot, the Einsteins formed a close-knit family. Although Albert and Elsa never produced any children of their own, Albert raised Ilse and Margot as his own.[6] They lived in the Berlin area, also having a summer house in Caputh in nearby Potsdam,[7] In 1929 she was the driving force when building their summer house in Caputh near Potsdam.[1] By 1933 they had emigrated to Princeton, New Jersey, USA.[1]
[edit] Late life
Elsa spent most of her marriage with Albert acting as gatekeeper, protecting him from unwelcome visitors and charlatans.[8]
In 1933 Albert and Elsa Einstein emigrated to Princeton, New Jersey, USA. In autumn 1935 they moved to a house in Mercer Street 112[9] bought that August,[1] but shortly afterwards Elsa developed an eye swelling and was diagnosed with heart and kidney problems.[9] Elsa died after a painful illness on 1936-12-20 in the Mercer house.[9]
[edit] Citations
- ^ a b c d e f Short life history: Elsa Einstein.
- ^ a b c d Highfield 1993, p. 146
- ^ Highfield 1993, p. 146,287
- ^ Highfield 1993, p. 147
- ^ Highfield 1993, p. 188
- ^ a b Highfield 1993, p. 193
- ^ Highfield 1993, p. 203
- ^ Highfield 1993, p. 190,196
- ^ a b c Highfield 1993, p. 216
[edit] References
- Highfield, Roger (1993), The Private Lives of Albert Einstein, London: Faber and Faber, ISBN 0-571-17170-2
[edit] See also
|
|||||||||||
