The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein, Volume 1
The Early Years, 1879-1902
Published on 21. June 1987
Book
Hardback
522 pages
978-0-691-08407-7 (ISBN)
Description
Volume 1 presents important new material on the young Einstein. Over half the documents made available here were discovered by the editors, including a significant group of over fifty letters that Einstein exchanged with Mileva Maric, his fellow student and future wife. These letters, together with other previously unpublished documents, provide an entirely new view of Einstein's youth. The documents in the volume also foreshadow the emergence of his extraordinary creative power. In them is manifested his intense commitment to scientific work and his interest in certain themes that proved to be central to his thinking during the next decade. We can follow, for example, the beginnings of his preoccupation with the electrodynamics of moving bodies that was to lead to the development of this special theory of relativity. For the first time it can be seen how closely he followed such contemporary developments in physics as Planck's work on radiation theory and Drude's work on the electron theory of metals.
In addition to all of Einstein's known correspondence and other writings from this period, the volume includes the relevant portions of all third-party letters and other contemporary documents that provide additional information about his secondary schooling at the Aargau Cantonal School; his four years at the Swiss Federal Plytechnical School, or the ETH; and his search for a job after graduation. Included in the volume are those sections of an unpublished biography by Einstein's sister, Maja Winteler-Einstein, which deal with his early years; his extensive notes on a physics course he took at the ETH; and previously unpublished photographs of the young Einstein and his teachers and friends. Documents in Volume 1 portray Einstein's experiences during the two stressful years after his graduation from the ETH in Zurich. Denied a position as an Assistant at the ETH, he lived a hand-to-mouth existence while he looked for a post at other universities; then he attempted to find a secondary-school post, and finally sought a nonacademic job. Tension with his parents over his plans to marry Mileva Maric is evident throughout this period.
With the help of a friend, he finally found work at the Swiss Patent Office, the haven where he would spend the next seven years. Freed from his financial worries, he entered on one of the most productive periods of his life, as the next volume, Writings (1901-1910), will document.
In addition to all of Einstein's known correspondence and other writings from this period, the volume includes the relevant portions of all third-party letters and other contemporary documents that provide additional information about his secondary schooling at the Aargau Cantonal School; his four years at the Swiss Federal Plytechnical School, or the ETH; and his search for a job after graduation. Included in the volume are those sections of an unpublished biography by Einstein's sister, Maja Winteler-Einstein, which deal with his early years; his extensive notes on a physics course he took at the ETH; and previously unpublished photographs of the young Einstein and his teachers and friends. Documents in Volume 1 portray Einstein's experiences during the two stressful years after his graduation from the ETH in Zurich. Denied a position as an Assistant at the ETH, he lived a hand-to-mouth existence while he looked for a post at other universities; then he attempted to find a secondary-school post, and finally sought a nonacademic job. Tension with his parents over his plans to marry Mileva Maric is evident throughout this period.
With the help of a friend, he finally found work at the Swiss Patent Office, the haven where he would spend the next seven years. Freed from his financial worries, he entered on one of the most productive periods of his life, as the next volume, Writings (1901-1910), will document.
Reviews / Votes
"The volume is attractive, the editing perceptive and informative without being intrusive; the translation, an entirely appropriate and insightful compromise between the literary and the literal."--International Journal of Theoretical PhysicsMore details
Series
Language
German
Place of publication
New Jersey
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Product notice
Trade binding
Dimensions
Height: 254 mm
Width: 191 mm
Weight
1465 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-691-08407-7 (9780691084077)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Content
Publisher's Foreword xi List of Texts xv List of Illustrations xxi INTRODUCTORY MARTERIAL General Information xxvii Editorial Method xxx Introduction to Volume 1 xxxv Acknowledgments xlii List of Location Symbols xlv List of Descriptive Symbols xlvii "Albert Einstein--Betrag fur sein Lebensbid" (Excerpt) by Maja Winteler-Einstein xlviii Map 2 LIST OF TEXTS 1.Birth Certificate, 15 March 1879 1 2.Pauline Einstein to Fanny Einstein, 1 August 1886 3 3.Comment on the Proof of a Theorem, 1891-1895 3 4.Two Philosophical Comments, 1891-1895 4 Editorial Note: Einstein's First Scientific Essay 5 5."On the Investigation of the State of the Ether in a 6 Magnetic Field," Summer? 1895 6.To Caesar Koch, Summer 1895 9 Editorial Note: ETH Entrance Examination and Aargau Kantonsschule 10 7.Albin Herzog to Gustav Maier, 25 September 1895 12 8.Entrance Report of the Gewerbeschule Aargau Kantonsschule, ca. 26 October 1895 13 9.Gustav Mier to Jost Winteler 26 October 1895 14 10.Aargau Kantonsschule Record, 26 October 1895 3 October 1896 15 11.Hermann Einstein to Jost Winteler, 29 October 1895 17 12.Minutes of the Teachers' Conference, Aargau Kantonsschule, 8 November 1895 18 13.Jost Winteler to Gustav Maier, 21 December 1895 18 14.Hermann Einstein to Jost Winteler, 30 December 1895 19 15.Pauline Einstein to the Winteler Family, 30 December 1895 19 16.Release from Wurttemberg Citizenship, 28 January 1896 20 17.Inspector's Report on a Music Examination, Aargau Kantonsschule, ca. 31 March 1896 21 18.To Marie Winteler, with a Postscript by Pauline Einstein, 21 April 1896 21 19.Final Grades, Aargau Kantonsschule, 5 September 1896 23 Editorial Note: Matura Examinations at the Gewerbeschule, Aargau Kantonsschule 23 20.To the Department of Education, Canton of Aargau, 7 September 1896 25 21.Matura Examination (A) German: "Synopsis of Goethe's Gotz von Berlichingen," 18 September 1896 25 22.Matura Examination (B) French: "My Future Plans," 18 September 1896 28 23.Matura Examination (C) Geometry, 19 September 1896 29 24.Matura Examination (D) Physics: "Tangent Galvanometer and Galvanometer," 19 September 1896 32 25.Matura Examination (E) Natural History: "Evidence of the Earlier Glaciation of Our Country," 21 September 1896 35 26.Matura Examination (F) Algebra, 21 September 1896 39 27.Matura Examination (G) Chemistry, 21 September 1896 41 Editorial Note: The Swiss Federal Polytechnical School (ETH) 43 28.ETH Record and Grade Transcript, 5-10 October 1896 2 August 1900 45 29.From Marie Winteler, 4-25 November 1896 50 30.From Marie Winteler, 30 November 1896 52 31.Pauline Einstein to Marie Winteler, 13 December 1896 53 32.Pauline Einstein to Marie Winteler, 24 March 1897 54 33.Statement of a Fine, 23-28 April 1897 54 34.To Pauline Winteler, May? 1897 55 35.To Pauline Winteler, 7 June 1897 57 36.From Mileva Maric, after 20 October 1897 58 Editorial Note: Einstein as a Student of Physics, and His Notes on H. F. Weber's Course 60 37.H. F. Weber's Lectures on Physics, ca. December 1897-ca. June 1898 63 38.To Maja Einstein, 1898 211 To Mileva Maric, 2 January 1898 [envelope only] 211 39.To Mileva Maric, 16 February 1898 211 40.To Mileva Maric, 16 April-8 November 1898 213 41.To Mileva Maric, after 16 April 1898 213 42.Jerome Franel to Hermann Bleuler, 21 October 1898 214 43.To Mileva Maric, after 28 November 1898 215 44.To Maja Einstein, after February 1899 215 45.To Mileva Maric, 13 or 20 March 1899 215 46.To Rosa Winteler, 29 April 1899 217 47.To Rosa Winteler, 18 May 1899 218 48.To Julia Niggli, 28 July 1899 218 49.Verse in the Album of Anna Schmid, August 1899 220 50.To Mileva Maric, early August 1899 220 51.To Julia Niggli, 6? August 1899 221 Editorial Note: E~nstetin on the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies 223 52.To Mileva Maric, 10? August 1899 225 53.From Mileva Maric, after 10 August-before 10 September 1899 228 54.To Mileva Maric, 10 September 1899 229 55.To Julia Niggli, 11 September 1899 231 56.To Pauline Winteler, 11 September 1899 232 57.To Mileva Maric, 28? September 1899 233 Editorial Note: Einstein on Thermal, Electrical, and Radiation Phenomena 235 58.To Mileva Maric, 10 October 1899 237 Ediitorial Note: Swiss Citizenship 239 59.Municipal Certificate of Residence and Good Conduct, 18 October 1899 241 60.To the Swiss Federal Council, 19 October 1899 242 61.From Mileva Maric, 1900? 242 62.To the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs, 28 February 1900 243 63.Mileva Maric to Helene Kaufler, 9 March 1900 243 64.Mileva Maric to Helene Kaufler, 4 June-23 July 1900 244 65.To the Zurich City Council, 26 June 1900 245 66.Municipal Police Detective's Report, 4 July 1900 246 67.Adolf Hurwitz to Hermann Bleuler, 27 July 1900 247 68.To Mileva Maric, 29? July 1900 248 69.To Mileva Maric, 1 August 1900 249 70.To Mileva Maric, 6 August 1900 251 71.To Mileva Maric, 9? August 1900 252 72.To Mileva Maric, 14? August 1900 254 73.To Mileva Maric, 20 August 1900 255 74.To Mileva Maric, 30 August or 6 September 1900 257 75.To Mileva Maric, 13? September 1900 259 76.To Mileva Maric, 19 September 1900 261 77.To Adolf Hurwitz, 23 September 1900 263 78.To Adolf Hurwitz, 26 September 1900 264 Editorial Note: Einstein on Molecular Forces 264 79.To Mileva Maric, 3 October 1900 266 80.Mileva Maric to Helene Kaufler, before 9 October 1900 268 81.To Helene Kaufler, 11 October 1900 268 82.Questionnaire for Municipal Citizenship Applicants, 11-26 October 1900 269 83.Mileva Maric to Helene Savic, with a Postscript by Einstein, 11 December 1900 270 "Conclusions Drawn from the Phenomena of Capillarity," 271 13December 1900 [text in Vol. 2] 84.Minutes of the Municipal Naturalization Commission of Zurich, 14 December 1900 271 85.Mileva Maric to Helene Savic, 20 December 1900 272 86.To Helene Savic, 20 December 1900 274 87.Mileva Maric to Helene Savic, with a Postscript by Einstein, 8 January-19 March 1901 274 88.Report of the Schweizerisches Informationsbureau, 30 January 1901 275 89.Dedication to Friedrich Muhlberg, ca. March 1901 276 90.To Otto Wiener, 9 March 1901 277 91.Military Service Book, 13 March 1901 277 92.To Wilhelm Ostwald, 19 March 1901 278 93.To Mileva Maric, 23 March 1901 279 94.To Mileva Maric, 27 March 1901 281 95.To Wilhelm Ostwald, 3 April 1901 284 96.To Mileva Maric, 4 April 1901 284 97.To Mileva Maric, 10 April 1901 286 98.To Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, 12 April 1901 288 99.Hermann Einstein to Wilhelm Ostwald, 13 April 1901 289 BOOKID100. To Marcel Grossmann, 14 April 1901 290 101.To Mileva Maric, 15 April 1901 291 102.To Mileva Maric, 30 April 1901 293 103.From Mileva Maric, 2 May 1901 295 104.To Alfred Stern, 3 May 1901 296 105.From Mileva Maric, 3 May 1901 297 106.To Mileva Maric, 9 May 1901 298 107.To Mileva Maric, second half of May? 1901 300 108.From Mileva Maric, second half of May? 1901 301 109.Mileva Maric to Helene Savic, second half of May? 1901 301 110.To Mileva Maric, second half of May? 1901 303 111.To Mileva Maric, 28? May 1901 304 112.To Mileva Maric, 4? June 1901 306 113.To the Director's Office, Technikum Burgdorf, 3 July 1901 307 114.To Mileva Maric, 7? July 1901 308 115.To Jost Winteler, 8 July 1901 309 116.From Mileva Maric, ca. 8 July 1901 310 117.To the Department of Education, Canton of Bern, 13 July 1901 311 118.From the Department of Internal Affairs, Canton of Bern, 16 July 1901 312 119.To Mileva Maric, 22? July 1901 312 120.From the Department of Internal Affairs, Canton of Bern, 31 July 1901 313 121.From Mileva Maric, 31? July 1901 313 122.To Marcel Grossmann, 6? September 1901 315 123.From Mileva Maric, early November 1901 316 124.From Mileva Maric, 13 November 1901 317 125.Mileva Maric to Helene Savic, ca. 23 November mid-December 1901 319 126.To Mileva Maric, 28 November 1901 320 127.To Mileva Maric, 12 December 1901 322 128.To Mileva Maric, 17 December 1901 325 129.To the Swiss Patent Office, 18 December 1901 327 130.To Mileva Maric, 19 December 1901 328 131.To Mileva Maric, 28 December 1901 329 132.Receipt for the Return of Doctoral Fees, 1 February 1902 331 133.To Conrad Habicht, 4 February 1902 331 134.To Mileva Maric, 4 February 1902 332 135.Advertisement for Private Lessons, 5 February 1902 334 136.To Mileva Maric, 8? February 1902 334 137.To Mileva Maric, 17? February 1902 335 138.Pauline Einstein to Pauline Winteler, 20 February 1902 336 "On the Thermodynamic Theory of the Difference in Potentials between Metals and Fully Dissociated Solutions of Their Salts and On an Electrical Method for Investigating Molecular Forces," April 1902 [text in Vol. 2] 337 139.To Conrad Habicht, April? 1902 337 "Kinetic Theory of Thermal Equilibrium and of the Second Law of Thermodynamics," June 1902 [text in Vol. 2] 337 140.The Swiss Department of Justice to the Swiss Federal Council, 2 June 1902 338 141.From the Swiss Department of Justice, 19 June 1902 339 142.From the Swiss Patent Office, 19 June 1902 340 APPENDIXES A. Munich Volkschule, Curriculum 341 B. Luitpold-Gymnasium, Curriculum 346 C. ETH Entrance Examination, Required Topics 356 D. Aagau Kantonsschule, Curriculum 359 E. ETH, Einstein's Curriculum 362 Chronology, March 1879-June 1902 370 Biographies 378 Literature Cited 390 Index 409