Princeton, 17 September 1938

A coded letter on their efforts to emigrate.

The letter opens with a jokey verse quatrain about Einstein's need for peace and quiet. He goes on in deliberately cryptic terms (undoubtedly conscious of the risk of his letter being intercepted) to release Maja and Paul from a promise they made him [never to sell their house in Italy, referred to here as 'the beloved object'], although he still advises them to think very carefully before doing so, as liquidity carries its own risks: 'It is not only volatile (easily evaporable) but also locked up in impenetrable walls. It is better if the less vulnerable part of the object [perhaps the title deeds] is retained in solid form and separated geographically from the threatened part until the wind changes direction'. In the meantime, he can offer a refuge in his own house: 'In the meantime there is space and a fine piano in the cloister-brother's house, who thanks to his advanced years and his hobbyhorse promises a peaceful waiting period'.

Similar uncertainty affects everyone: Mileva [his first wife] has been unable to uphold the mortgage on her Zurich property and is now completely dependent on him; and 'Even otherwise my analogous experiences are completely incalculable'. However, as always science is a refuge: 'The hobbyhorse flourishes splendidly and as long as my breath holds out I shall not let my happy spirits sink. And you should do likewise'. The letter is deliberately signed only with his initial.

In a pencilled postscript, Einstein adds that he can no longer provide affidavits, though they should try with other relatives living in America: 'Otherwise it has become difficult because of the dreadful press of people'. He ends by sending greetings to a childhood friend, 'a happy ghost of childhood'.


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