October 2017 Auction Ends Thursday, October 26th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/26/2017
Albert Einstein autograph letter signed, with extraordinary content regarding the German's continued ''attachment to Nazi-dom'', the destructive nature of humanity, and American culture post WWII, including its ''imperialism and military psychology'' as well its ''intellectual theft''. Signed ''A. Einstein'', the scientist writes to his friend, German psychiatrist Otto Juliusburger, a Jewish man who emigrated to the United States during World War II.
Dated 22 January 1947, Einstein writes in German on his blind-embossed Princeton stationery, translated in full: ''Dear Friend, I thank you today for your kind wishes and send you mine, somewhat shamefully late, but still, you can say, at the start of the year. At one point I had a correspondence with [philosopher and scientist Josef] Popper-Lynkeus that in a way I feel ashamed of. In it, I criticized his concept of a 'duty to provide subsistence' as being impractical, and I am afraid that criticism was not good. I did agree with him that protecting the individual from material want was an undeniable and important duty of society, but believed that interference of such magnitude into the freedom of the individual was not desirable and not warranted for the attainment of the goal. In doing so, I totally failed to recognize the high instructive value of such a development, which would, after all, be the exact opposite of society's requiring military duty, even concerning the instructive impact. You propose classes in social-ethics instruction. No doubt, that would be good, but talk remains talk and tends to ossify. Action has greater impact.
I can well imagine how excited you are that your research results in pernicious anemia and somatic treatment of psychological illnesses have been accepted. You did not mention the people here. Small surprise there since intellectual theft is one of the hallowed traditions of this blessed country, which is well-known to the initiated. It adorns the thief while also helping overcome the inferiority complex that still operates under the surface.
The Germans have not succeeded in concealing their attachment to Nazi-dom. I hope that will cause others to destroy the German danger more radically than after the last war - so that jealousy of the victors will not result again in rivalry for the German confederation. Mankind in the mass is a fatal beast about which you can never tell when and where it will destructively pounce. Victory has not been good for those here, as imperialism and military psychology have taken hold. And yet one cannot be grateful enough for that victory.
Enjoy your days compiling your works. To you and your dear wife I wish happy and harmonious days. Warmly, A. Einstein''. An additional postscript written vertically in the left margin reads, ''Have you heard that our dear [Gustav Peter] Bucky narrowly escaped death thanks to surgery performed at the last minute? Apparently it was a case of medically adventurous proportions (obstruction of stomach and intestines caused by an interior hernia). [Rudolph] Nissen's surgery must have been the accomplishment of a genius.'' Single page measures 8.5'' x 11''. Folds, otherwise near fine condition. With original transmittal envelope postmarked Princeton on 22 January 1947.
Albert Einstein Autograph Letter Signed, Shortly After WWII -- ''...The Germans have not succeeded in concealing their attachment to Nazi-dom...Mankind in the mass is a fatal beast...''
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