Born in Ulm Germany, Albert Einstein (1879-1955) married Mileva Marić in 1903 and had their first son in 1904 in Switzerland. But it was 1905 that was a frantic, miraculous year for the young scientist. He published papers, formulated the theory of special relativity and explained the photo-electric effect. Then he submitted his doctoral dissertation On the Motion of Small Particles.
Albert Einstein during a lecture in Vienna
1921. Wikipedia
Brussels' Solvay Conference, the first world physics conference held in 1911, became a legend. 3 people stood out: Marie Curie, Ernest Rutherford and Albert Einstein.
Einstein was soon known as a great scientist. His theories of relativity revolutionised science by introducing new ways of looking at objects moving in space and time. And he made major contributions to quantum mechanics theory, winning the 1921 Nobel Physics Prize. Einstein travelled the world raising money for Hebrew University, including on a 1921 trip to the U.S with fellow scientist Chaim Weizmann who later became Israel’s first President. In the meantime, Einstein served on the university’s first board of governors.
He fled Germany in 1933 when the Nazi party came to power, moving to the US. Einstein’s commitment to Judaism and Zionism remained strong, and he continued as one of the most prominent supporters of the State of Israel and one of the founding fathers of Hebrew University. He was a non-resident governor of the institution!
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Einstein’s connection to Israel was so strong, that when President Weizmann died in 1952, the state offered the role to Einstein. Though he was moved by the offer, Einstein refused, saying his expertise was in science and that he lacked the skill to deal with official functions. Instead, Einstein’s brilliant legacy in scientific research continued as the foundation of Hebrew Uni.
When Einstein wrote his last will, he bequeathed his manuscripts, copyrights, publication rights, royalties and all other literary property and rights, of every nature whatsoever to Hebrew Uni. Lauded as one of the greatest theoretical physicists of all time, Einstein died in 1955 aged 76.
A number of residential and museum sites have already been identified to honour Albert Einstein. A]The Historisches Museum Bern has 1000m² of exhibition space that offers details of the physicist’s life. B]Einstein lived in six different houses in Zurich, all still preserved today. At one property, a plaque honours its former famous resident. C]A simple, wooden house in Caputh village on Lake Templin is 15 ks near Berlin, custom-built for Einstein in 1929. He hosted a wide range of glamorous guests from the science and arts world in Caputh. And D]Albert Einstein House in Princeton N.J from 1935-55 was never made into a museum. But it was designated a U.S National Historic Landmark in 1976.
After he died, Israeli officials cleaned out Einstein’s office at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton N.J. They packed up all of his papers, photos, medals and other ephemera, placed them in big wooden crates and loaded them onto ships, travelling to the Hebrew University with police escorts. His archives were then stored away on the second floor of a Hebrew Uni building.
In 2022 Israel’s government approved the funding and establishment of Albert Einstein Museum on the campus of Hebrew Uni, the Jerusalem school the physicist helped establish a century ago.
Costing $18 million, an abandoned planetarium at the Givat Ram campus will be rebuilt to contain the c85,000 Einstein items, making it the world's most extensive Einsteinian collection. The government committed c$6 million and the university $12 million.
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With original documents, modern exhibition techniques & scientific demonstrations, the Museum will present Einstein’s contributions to science, the impact of his discoveries in the world of physics on modern lives, his public activity and his involvement in key historical moments. Einstein archives will be viewable by the general public and the museum will serve as a space for scientific and technological education, and demonstrations. The library and office will be reconstructed versions of his old Princeton facilities.
Einstein in his N.J study with violinist Bronislaw Huberman,
March 1937, Ripley's
When Einstein wrote his last will, he bequeathed his manuscripts, copyrights, publication rights, royalties and all other literary property and rights, of every nature whatsoever to Hebrew Uni. Lauded as one of the greatest theoretical physicists of all time, Einstein died in 1955 aged 76.
A number of residential and museum sites have already been identified to honour Albert Einstein. A]The Historisches Museum Bern has 1000m² of exhibition space that offers details of the physicist’s life. B]Einstein lived in six different houses in Zurich, all still preserved today. At one property, a plaque honours its former famous resident. C]A simple, wooden house in Caputh village on Lake Templin is 15 ks near Berlin, custom-built for Einstein in 1929. He hosted a wide range of glamorous guests from the science and arts world in Caputh. And D]Albert Einstein House in Princeton N.J from 1935-55 was never made into a museum. But it was designated a U.S National Historic Landmark in 1976.
After he died, Israeli officials cleaned out Einstein’s office at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton N.J. They packed up all of his papers, photos, medals and other ephemera, placed them in big wooden crates and loaded them onto ships, travelling to the Hebrew University with police escorts. His archives were then stored away on the second floor of a Hebrew Uni building.
In 2022 Israel’s government approved the funding and establishment of Albert Einstein Museum on the campus of Hebrew Uni, the Jerusalem school the physicist helped establish a century ago.
Costing $18 million, an abandoned planetarium at the Givat Ram campus will be rebuilt to contain the c85,000 Einstein items, making it the world's most extensive Einsteinian collection. The government committed c$6 million and the university $12 million.
New museum's collection of documents and photos
With original documents, modern exhibition techniques & scientific demonstrations, the Museum will present Einstein’s contributions to science, the impact of his discoveries in the world of physics on modern lives, his public activity and his involvement in key historical moments. Einstein archives will be viewable by the general public and the museum will serve as a space for scientific and technological education, and demonstrations. The library and office will be reconstructed versions of his old Princeton facilities.
Einstein's theories of relativity revolutionised the field by introducing new ways of looking at the movement of objects in space and time. He also made major contributions to quantum mechanics theory, and won the Nobel physics prize for 1921. But he is still one of the biggest names in the world for intelligence, science and genius around the world. Thus the museum will become a pilgrimage site for anyone who wants to understand Einstein in particular, and intelligence in general.
Statue of Albert Einstein by Georgy Frangulyan,
Givat Ram campus, Jerusalem.
Times of Israel