February 2018 Auction Ends Thursday, February 22nd, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/22/2018
Albert Einstein autograph letter signed datelined Berlin, 21 October 1932, with excellent, wide-ranging content on the failing world economy, socialism and communism, his work on spinor theory, his Nobel Prize, and his son's diagnosis with schizophrenia including mistrust of his other son to care for him after Einstein's death. Letter in German to his close friend Michele Besso reads, ''Dear Michele! / How could I possibly be angry with you? I have never witnessed you saying or doing anything with any intention other than to do good. And so it was in Tetel's [Einstein's son Eduard] case as well. I also invited him to come to America (Princeton) next year. This year, it would not have worked so well, because things, and especially my commitments, are more precarious in California. Rather than recreation, it would have been dangerous stress for Tetel. Unfortunately, all the signs suggest that the serious family affliction [Einstein's ex-wife Mileva had a sister with schizophrenia] will affect him vitally. I have seen it coming, slowly but relentlessly, since Tetel's adolescence. In these types of cases, the external occasions and influences play only a small part compared to the secretory causes about which nobody can do anything. / The reason why I am not able to take care of Tetel as much as I would wish lies with the calamitous external forces that surround him. Now Albert [Einstein's other son Hans Albert] married a woman who, I am convinced, is just as insincere and cunning as Mileva - and equally afflicted by heredity. I requested a statement from them that either they accept my last will or that the Nobel Prize pledged to Mileva should be counted towards the children's inheritance. However, they shirked from dealing with this matter, and I realized that after my death they want to seize all of the inheritance. I cannot allow this, though, because it would really be unfair. Such matters reveal what one should think of a person, and one must not close one's eyes, even though it may be a bitter revelation. I believe that Tetel is a person with more decent attitudes and views. However, he is ill and subjected to bad influence. I will still try to do as much for my unfortunate son as I am able.'' Sadly, Einstein would never see his son Eduard again, as Hitler assumed power after Einstein left for California and Einstein never returned to Europe again. He continues in the letter, ''I thought your little articles were nice but a little erratic and not worked out very well in terms of logic. It is a shame that you do not exert the energy needed to formulate your good ideas clearly. With regard to the current crisis, I believe that our economy has a fundamental flaw: it suffers from a surplus of unqualified labor. It has always been that way but is true more than ever now. I am not a Socialist or a Communist. I have my doubts that there can be healthy productivity within a centrally planned economy. However, I do believe that the community would have to reduce the supply of unskilled labor by restrictive measures in order to keep wages high enough to allow the masses to buy the produced goods. Without such measures, a large number of people - specifically all unskilled workers - will be brought down to an ignoble subsistence level and a considerable fraction of them will be edged out of the economic cycle and thereby crushed. / Together with my Dr. Mayer, I am working on the theory of spinors [ultimately Einstein-Cartan theory]. We have already been able to reason out the mathematical coherences. We are still far off from comprehending the physical aspect, much farther away than is generally thought nowadays. In particular, I am still convinced that the attempt at devising a fundamentally statistical theory will fail. / Affectionate greetings from your / Albert''. Interestingly, in 1949 Einstein wrote a famous article in the ''Monthly Review'', a socialist magazine, entitled ''Why Socialism?'' where he advocates for what he disavows in this letter: ''I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals.'' Two page letter measures 7.5'' x 11.25''. With original transmittal envelope. Near fine condition. Accompanied by a full translation.
Albert Einstein Autograph Letter Signed in 1932 on the Economy & His Nobel: ''...I am neither socialist nor communist...unskilled workers - will be brought down to an ignoble subsistence level...''
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