The personal life of geniuses is rarely happy and simple. The great theoretical physicist Albert Einstein is no exception in this sense: two difficult marriages, a serious illness of his youngest son, numerous novels with young girls, difficult relationship with Mother. Moreover, I must say that Einstein enjoyed great success with women.
Albert Einstein with his wife Elsa
Biographers of Albert Einstein insist that the future scientist met his first love named Maria Winteler while studying at the Polytechnic School in Zurich. It was not yet a feast of the flesh, but a romantic fuse, which resulted in streams of letters and rare visits to the village where the girl lived. Little by little, youthful passion subsided, but the end of love plunged Maria into a deep depression. The Jewish relatives of the failed couple, who were already dreaming of a marriage union, also felt sad.
The student Einstein preferred the revolutionary theories introduced to him by his friend Friedrich Adler, son of Victor Adler, leader of the Austrian Social Democratic Party, to rendezvous with girls. However, Albert did not turn out to be a rebel, and soon he would devote himself entirely to science and the god Eros. Mileva Marich was, according to everyone's opinion, devoid of the charm of femininity and limped in one leg. An Orthodox Christian, a Serbian by nationality, Mileva was three years older than Albert, had a difficult character, morbidly jealous and prone to depression. Einstein fell in love with her in 1898 while they were working on the laws of gravity together and proposed to his colleague.
Paulina rested her horn and directly declared to her son that she was against this marriage. Maternal persuasions and threats seemed to touch Albert a little, but later it turned out that relatively slowly but surely they penetrated the consciousness of the young scientist. Father Herman was more loyal and, shortly before his death, managed to bless the young. The wedding of Einstein Jr. took place on January 6, 1903, after the death of Einstein Sr. When Mileva became pregnant, she was forced to leave for her family in Serbia, since Albert had no money. She gave birth to a daughter Lieserl, and in the letters of both parents there is joy about this, but Einstein does not go to the young mother and is in no hurry to hold the newborn in her arms.
Biographers of the genius see here a riddle. not very clear and further fate this girl. According to one information, she was given to orphanage, according to others, they were transferred to a foster family. Most assured that she died at the age of two from scarlet fever in her mother's family. Some have claimed that Lieserl outlived Einstein. Even today, when the archives are published, no one knows the whole truth. Questions remain open: why did Einstein, who will dearly love his other two children, show such indifference at the birth of his first child, and whether this act will be a harbinger of a break with Mileva?
In February 1901, Albert Einstein received Swiss citizenship, and in December of the same year, with the help of his friend Grossman, he got a job with a decent salary - technical expert 3rd category at the Swiss Patent Office in Bern. Immediately, Albert called Mileva to him and the next year, on May 14, 1904, their son, Hans Albert, was born. This time, the happy father, having learned about the successful resolution of his wife from the burden, galloped through the streets of the city to kiss her and the child. From now until the very end of his life, Einstein will play the role of a caring father in relation to his children, to two (in 1910, his son Eduard, who was ill with schizophrenia), will be born, with the exception of his daughter Lieserl.
The reason for the collapse of the Einstein family hearth was given either by the jealous nature of Mileva, or by her adultery with a certain professor from Zagreb. The break came in mid-July 1914, while their family lived in Berlin. Einstein wrote conditions to his wife in his own hand, in which, among other things, he demanded that Mileva renounce all intimacy with him and even forbade her to speak to him if he did not want to. Mileva and her children found shelter with Friedrich Haber, an outstanding chemist and Einstein's new friend. At the end of July, Mileva left for Zurich with the boys. At the Berlin railway station they were seen off by a weeping great physicist Albert Einstein.
Having dissolved his marriage with Marich, Einstein marries his cousin both on the side of his father and on the side of his mother, the exact opposite of his first wife, but who fully responded to the needs of his mother. The wedding with cousin Elsa took place just three months after the divorce from Marich - on June 2, 1919. But throughout World War I, Einstein was already openly living with her. It is symbolic that Einstein's wedding took place after the death of his mother, as if one woman replaced another. Elsa, who called her husband not by his first name, but only by his last name, replaced Einstein's mother, but did not become him. the only love. A series of mistresses of an outstanding scientist speaks of this.
“In the beginning there was Betty Neumann,” says French physicist biographer Laurent Seksik. “The affair began just a few months after his marriage to Elsa. Betty was his secretary, 20 years younger than him. 1923. Madly in love with her. She gave in to him without resistance. This man had an irresistible impact on both the crowds and the fair sex. The story of Betty, like her successors, will become a caricature of adultery. Einstein did not want to leave Elsa, even if he claimed otherwise. No woman would ever force him to leave her. He even offered Betty to live together! She refused, offended both by the cowardice of her lover and by the absurdity of the proposal. "
On April 30, the biographical series "Genius" starts on the National Geographic channel, which tells about the life of Nobel Prize winner in physics Albert Einstein. As one of the most famous world scientists the no less brilliant Geoffrey Rush performed, the young Einstein was played by Johnny Flynn, the role of Elsa's cousin and second wife was played by Emily Watson.
The series is based on the critically acclaimed bestselling journalist and biographer Walter Isaacson's Einstein: His Life and Universe. Over the course of 10 episodes of the first season, the viewer will be shown how an imaginative clerk with a rebellious spirit, who could not get a job as a teacher and a doctorate, revealed the secrets of the atom and the universe, about his relationships with women and other people who had an important influence on the formation of the future great scientist.
BigPiccha Presents exclusive interviews actors who played the main people in the life of a genius that will plunge you into the past of Albert Einstein and those people with whom he was associated before recent years.
Trailer of the series "Genius".
Who was Mileva Marić?
SC: Mileva was a Serbian physicist, gifted mathematician and the only woman at ETH Zurich. She became Albert's first wife and the mother of his children. She overcame her physical disability, mental breakdown and fought to be on an equal footing with men and have equal rights to education and respect. She was cheeky enough. And I would love to know about her growing up because she's a great example of feminism.
According to some sources, Mileva assisted Einstein on some of his most famous works but never admitted to it. Would that “genius” have appeared if Mileva had not been with him? I believe that it was she who influenced the formation of "Einstein" who we know on early stages his career. She supported Albert, challenged him, raised and protected him so that he could fulfill all his dreams. Of course, this is rather controversial, but I believe that without her he would not have been able to realize all his ideas.
When I was first called to audition, I thought it was an artificially recreated love story of Einstein. But I was surprised to learn about this amazing woman who dedicated herself to her husband and gave up everything for him. From their correspondence it becomes clear that they did everything together. Some say she was trying to do her part in history, but it's impossible to deny that she was with him during this time.
What role did she play in the relationship with Albert?
SK: It is clear from Albert's letters to Mileva that they were passionate lovers. This is felt in the letters, and, besides, they were of the same mindset. I don't think he met anyone like her, someone who could challenge him like that. She was his best friend and a protector. She checked and assisted him in his research. She was his first wife and the mother of his children. In some letters, he writes: “Without you, life has no meaning. I'm losing interest and confidence in her." He called her his right hand and even after their divorce, in a letter to her friend, he wrote that she would "always remain a detached part of him." Of course, she played a huge role in his life.
Ron Howard, director and producer of the series, about the women of Albert Einstein
The women in the life of Albert Einstein play very important role. Our series explores his personal relationships in detail. It is full of surprises and not everyone shows the scientist in best light. It must be admitted that he was rather ambiguous.
Einstein had several serious romances, and sometimes they intersected ...
Emily Watson - Elsa Einstein, second wife
How did the relationship between Elsa and Albert develop? EU: The relationship between Albert and Mileva was very difficult shortly before the breakup, and during this period Elsa became a sip fresh air for Einstein. Feelings broke out between them, although it was wrong, but it happened. Albert fell ill and Elsa saved him. She cared for her lover, and he completely depended on her.
At first, she was comfortable living with Albert not married. But when Einstein became famous, she began to insist that he divorce. They needed to get married, because due to the fame of the scientist, close public attention was riveted to their couple.
Do you associate yourself with Elsa?
EW: What I really like about her and their relationship with Albert is that they are a team. And together they are strong enough to live against social stereotypes. First of all, they are cousins and I really enjoy living it. For me, they are connected at the molecular level and are practically the same person.
The series shows this subtle transition from the state of fighting for the divorce of the man you love, to being next to the great man, your husband in that historical moment when the Theory of Relativity was proven. And this currently triumph for Elsa. Unfortunately, this happiness did not last long. Elsa Einstein lived a short life and died in 1946.
Behind every great man...
EU: Emily Watson! I think Elsa created conditions for Albert in which he was able to do the work that he was supposed to. She created a life where Albert had enough room to be himself. He had mistresses, and she freed his personal space for this. She had very clear rules about this weakness of Albert, but she always knew when he needed to work and created the necessary conditions for this. She made sure he was healthy and allowed his brilliant mind to do what he did best. In a way, Elsa was his manager. But they also loved each other very much. She led him through the right way through worldwide fame which was not easy. And she did it for him.
Seth Gable as Einstein's best friend Michel Besso
Who was Michel Besso? SG: Michel Besso was Albert's best friend. They met in college. Michel's childhood was spent in Switzerland and Italy. Michel was Jewish, so he and Einstein almost immediately found mutual language. They both shared a love of physics. In Michel, Albert found a friend who was not afraid to confront authority and the system. They didn't argue in those days, and Besso was inspired by Einstein and saw him as a genius.
How important was their friendship to Einstein? SG: Besso constantly supported and encouraged Einstein in any research. So he got a job at the patent office to help his friend. Unfortunately, when Einstein neglected his family, Besso took over the care of his family, and over the course of the series, we can see how he was emotionally overwhelmed that his friend let him down. We all balance between family and work on the verge of obligations and real desires.
When Besso died at the age of 81, Einstein wrote to his widow, Anna Winteler, a letter that explains their relationship: “He left this strange world a little faster than me. But that doesn't mean anything. People like us who believe in physics know for sure that the distinction between past, present and future is just a constantly renewing illusion.” Einstein felt that Besso got this right by spending his time on both his family and his favorite business.
How do you associate yourself with Besso? SG: I like his strengths and weaknesses. As an actor, I always try to be open to my characters, but as a person, I sometimes want to close myself off from those emotions. It's funny. Reminds high school when teenagers loudly declared themselves (beat their chests with their fists), and then refused their statements and did not answer for their words. And as for Besso, he was good-natured and often acted as Einstein's conscience.
Who was Philip Lenard?
MM: Philipp Lenard was an outstanding German physicist. He lived until 1947 and was a Nobel Prize winner for research work cathode rays, precursors of x-rays. He was also a zealous supporter of Hitler and his chief physicist.
What drove them?
MM: Lenard was an arrogant but brilliant scientist and he was obsessed with Einstein. It was fierce jealousy. Einstein came up with scientific point view of his dreams, and Lenard worked only with facts and could not accept his approach. The anti-Semitism inherent in Lenard's views increased the dislike for Albert, and this strong feeling destroyed him. And, of course, Hitler made it possible for all his failures and lack of professional recognition to find expression in his dislike of the Jews. He was going to rewrite history. And it's incredibly exciting to see how at the end of the film he is completely shattered, and all his dreams come to an end.
Would you say that Lenard was a "product" of his time?
MM: Yes, I understand that change is always difficult and all radical thinkers will be seen as crazy and will face fierce resistance. We forget how famous Einstein became in his day. When you mention the word "genius", you are bound to think of Einstein. His image, his crazy hair, his genius we still know in 2017 and he was incredibly famous around the world. He was a rebel and had a sense of humor, he was not without courage and firmness, a dried-up fossil, such as Lenard and his contemporaries were. Society sympathized with him. Lenard did not think that this should be elevated to dignity, but, at the same time, it was obvious that he wanted the same.
How did the Nobel Prize affect him?
MM: The first turning point for Lenard was the Nobel Prize, which changed many scientists of that time. Fallen fame and money led scientists out of their laboratories. Everyone was eager to get it. Lenard helped Rengen in research and gave him advice, but this complex issue, what is the share of his participation in the discovery. As one of the heroes said: “we all build on each other, and the person who brings the general idea to the next step gets fame and fame.” Of course, from a moral point of view, this is not always correct, but how to avoid it? This is a very difficult question and one of the main turning points in the life of Philip Lenard.
He sent a petition to the Nobel Committee that they did not give Einstein the prize, and later he even wrote a book in which he ignored the achievements of all British scientists: both Marie Curie and Einstein. After the First World War, he was poor, helpless and lonely. To "stand on his feet" he joined the ranks of Hitler's followers.
Why do you think that talking about Einstein's life is especially relevant today?
MM: There are obvious similarities. Chaos reigns in the world today, as it was in those days. Several leaders with opposing beliefs were in power. Today we can observe a similar situation. People know that Einstein existed, but for them it was not so important how amazing and inspiring his life was: he was born a Jew, but did not follow all the traditions; he was German but not a nationalist; he was a freethinker and became an amazing piece of history. He met many prominent personalities 20th century on its way. This beautiful story with a strong storyline about the life of a great man, which explores the facets of the personality of Albert Einstein previously unknown.
Who was Edgar Hoover? T. R. Knight (TRN): Edgar Hoover was the head of the FBI for 48 years. He played an important role in his formation, he rose through career ladder, from an intern at the Bureau of Investigation to the position of director of the organization that later became known as the FBI, and he "sat on the throne" until his death. He died in the office.
How well did you know the history of Hoover and Einstein?
TRN: I had a certain idea about Hoover and Einstein, but I didn't know anything about the connection between them. The most interesting part of being an actor is in research and learning. The most fascinating thing about his story was that he was obsessed with self-defense. He would have been furious to know that he was so gossiped about as he is now. His height was 174 centimeters, but it was generally accepted that he was just under 183 cm. He did not hire tall people, made his desktop taller and was a gambler. I can say with confidence that he was a hypocrite. Since he was under heavy guard, there was always a lot of understatement about him, which he himself would have hated in relation to others.
Why do you think Hoover disliked Einstein so much?
TRN: Hoover's obsession with Einstein ultimately comes down to his fight against communism and everything that undermined the fragile American way of life. He was against all new ideas and free thinking. I think with Einstein it was more personal. On a subconscious level, I prefer to convey it as if Einstein represented a man who lived real life without embellishment, and in opposition to him was Hoover, who really did not want to show this part of his life. A man like Hoover could not help but be maddened by the fact that Einstein, his complete opposite, was insanely popular and very an open person. In this story, it is very important to show that Einstein annoyed Hoover to the guts, and this pulled out his entire dark side. And darkness does not like light.
Hoover was instrumental in preventing Einstein from leaving for the United States. You are not connected to current situation in USA?
TRN: Hoover undertook failed attempt prevent Einstein from emigrating to the US. I do not think that any of us knew or was ready for the fact that this would remain relevant and pass through time to the present day. There's something going on in the States that makes it very personal for us, and a clear lack of understanding of the mistakes of the past leads them to fall into the same trap and not remember how terrible our past can be when we accept these sweeping decisions that undermine the foundations of our society. Speaking like an American, they are undermining everything that the copper woman (the Statue of Liberty) fought for in the port, and this is very difficult to understand, especially in light of the story of Einstein. We knew that he had dared to fight in Germany, and this horrific past, which seemed so far away from us, is returning again, as if the wheel of history is spinning in reverse side in the most frightening way.
Exclusive material provided by the Russian representative office of National Geographic.
Albert Einstein is one of the most famous scientists in history, his name has become synonymous with genius. But, although almost everyone has heard of his brilliant contribution to science, few people know about tragic fate his son Edward Einstein.
Albert Einstein's two sons, Eduard and Hans Albert, in July 1917
Eduard Einstein's mother, Milea Marić is the first wife of Albert Einstein. Marić was the only female student who studied physics at the Zurich Polytechnic Institute, where Einstein had studied since 1896, he fell in love with Marić despite the fact that she was four years older than him.
Albert and Mileva Einstein
They married in 1903 and had three children: a daughter Lieserl (about whom practically nothing is known, probably died in infancy), sons Hans Albert and Eduard, the youngest, who was born in Zurich (Switzerland) on July 28, 1910. Einstein divorced Marich in 1914, but continued to have a lively correspondence with his sons.
Marich later complained that for her famous husband science was more important than family However, the son, Hans Albert, recalled that when he and his brother were small, his father, postponing work, watched them for hours, while Maric was busy with household chores.
Little Eduard Einstein was a sickly and weak child, he could not participate in the family trips of the rest of the Einsteins.
Einstein was worried about his younger son, in a letter of 1917 he writes to a colleague: "The condition of my younger son greatly depresses me. It is unlikely that he will be able to lead a normal life."
Einstein did everything possible to help his sickly son, accompanied Edward to various sanatoriums.
With age, Edward's mental state worsened, despite the fact that he showed a keen interest in poetry and playing the piano.
He worshiped Sigmund Freud and followed in his father's footsteps, enrolling at the University of Zurich, although he intended to become a psychiatrist. By this time, Albert Einstein was already known to the whole world. In one of the stories, Eduard Einstein wrote: "At times it is difficult to have such a famous father, because you feel insignificant."
Albert Einstein in his Berlin office.
Edward fell in love with an older woman and their relationship ended catastrophically, which further affected his mental health, in 1930 Edward tried to commit suicide. Schizophrenia progressed to the point where it affected speech and cognition.
Albert, for his part, believed that his son's condition was hereditary, passed down from his mother, although this scientific observation did little to assuage his grief and guilt.
His second wife, Elsa, wrote that "this sadness is eating away at Albert."
After the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, Albert Einstein, being a Jew, could not work at the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin, where he had worked since 1914, he had to flee to the United States.
Albert Einstein with eldest son Hans Albert, who came to him in America, and then became a professor.
Although Albert hoped that his younger son will also come to the USA, this did not happen due to the constant deterioration of Edward's mental health. Before leaving for the United States, Albert Einstein visited his son in a psychiatric hospital, they never saw each other again, although Albert maintained a correspondence with him and systematically sent money.
Edward spent the rest of his days (more than 30 years) in the Burghelsli Psychiatric Clinic (Switzerland), where he died at the age of 55 in October 1965 from a stroke, and was buried in the Hönggerberg cemetery in Zurich.
Name: Albert Einstein
Age: 76 years old
Place of Birth: Ulm, Germany
A place of death: Princeton, New Jersey, USA
Activity: theoretical physicist
Family status: was married
Albert Einstein - Biography
2005 marks one hundred years since the theory of relativity was published. Albert Einstein. The genius scientist has long since become a mythological figure of the 20th century, the embodiment of an eccentric genius for whom nothing but science existed. But the great physicist also had a stormy personal life, the details of which he carefully concealed.
Several "bombs" exploded almost simultaneously. In 1996, Einstein's papers were published, which had previously been kept in a shoebox by his son Hans Albert. There were diaries, notes, letters from Einstein to his first wife Mileva and other women. These documents refuted the idea that the great scientist was almost an ascetic. It turned out that love occupied him no less than science. This was also confirmed by letters from Margarita Konenkova put up for auction in New York in 1998. last love Einstein was the wife famous sculptor Konenkov and, most sensationally, a Soviet spy.
But back to the beginning of the biography, the life of the future scientist. Albert Einstein was born in the southern German town of Ulm on March 14, 1879. His Jewish ancestors have lived in these parts for three hundred years and have long adopted local customs and religion. Einstein's father was an unsuccessful businessman, his mother was an imperious and zealous mistress of the house. Subsequently, the scientist never said who was the head of the family - father Herman or mother Polina.
Nor did he answer the question of which parent he owed his talents to. “My only talent is the utmost curiosity,” Einstein said. And so it was: early childhood he was preoccupied with questions that seemed trifling to others. He strove to get to the bottom of everything and find out how all things work.
When his sister Maya was born, they explained to him that now he can play with her. “But how does she understand?” - two-year-old Albert asked with interest. He was not allowed to dismantle his sister, but she suffered a lot from her brother: he was prone to fits of rage. Once, I almost hit her head with a child's spatula. “The sister of a thinker must have a strong skull,” Maya philosophically remarked in her memoirs.
Until the age of seven, Einstein spoke poorly and reluctantly. At school, teachers and classmates considered him stupid. At breaks, he did not run with his peers, but huddled in a corner with a book on mathematics. From the age of seven, Albert was only interested in exact sciences for which he was the best in the class. For the rest of the subjects, he had fat deuces in his report card.
The teachers were especially annoyed that Albert mocked Kaiser Wilhelm's militant policies and did not understand the need for military training. The Greek teacher even told Einstein that he was undermining the foundations of the school, after which the young man decided to leave this educational institution.
He went to Zurich to enter the prestigious Higher Polytechnic School. But this required passing exams in history and French, and, of course, Einstein failed. Then he entered the school of the neighboring town of Aarau and rented a room in the house of the teacher Vinteler.
The young man's first heartfelt passion was the teacher's daughter Marie Winteler, who was two years older than Albert. Young people walked in the park, wrote tender letters to each other. They were drawn together by a common love of music: Marie was a pianist and often accompanied Albert when he played the violin. But the romance ended quickly: Einstein graduated from high school and went to Zurich to study at the Polytechnic.
During the four years of study, Einstein developed his talents in disputes with fellow students, who made up the so-called "circle of Olympians." After receiving his diploma, Albert spent several years trying to find a job. Only in 1902 did he get a job at the Zurich patent office. It was in this "secular monastery," as Einstein called it, that he made his major discoveries.
Five small articles in the journal "Annals of Physics", published in 1905, turned the world science upside down. The famous formula E = ms\, which determined the relationship between mass and energy, laid the foundation for nuclear physics. Special meaning had special theory relativity, according to which space and time were not constants, as previously thought.
While studying at the Zurich Polytechnic, Einstein met a Serbian student, Mileva Maric, who studied at the Faculty of Medicine. They married in 1903 and had three children.
Doctors made a disappointing diagnosis for the born daughter: developmental delay. Soon the baby died.
A few years later, the wife gave Einstein two sons, but he did not feel affection for them either. One of the boys suffered mental disorder And most spent his life in a specialized clinic. Doctors never saw the famous father among his visitors.
Albert and Mileva occasionally found time to walk around Zurich. They argued about physics and enjoyed their last money coffee and cake - both were desperate sweet tooth. He called her his little witch, savage and frog, she called him Johnny.
However, it cannot be said that the biography of their personal life was serene. Einstein became famous, his society was sought beautiful women, and Mileva's years did not add prettiness. The realization of this made her furiously jealous. She could grab into the hair of some beauty right on the street, whom her Johnny stared at. If it turned out that he was going to visit, where there would be beautiful ladies, then a scandal would begin and plates would fly to the floor.
In addition, Mileva turned out to be a poor hostess - the house was in disarray, the dishes were always unwashed, and scrambled eggs and sausage were served for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Absent-minded Einstein ate anything and as a result acquired a stomach ulcer. In the end, he could not stand it and forced his wife to sign the contract.
She pledged to serve him food three times a day, wash clothes and not enter his office without knocking. But after that, almost nothing has changed. Coming to Einstein, friends found him with a book on mathematics in one hand, with the other hand he rocked a stroller with a screaming child, while not letting go of his pipe and was completely shrouded in smoke.
By that time, Einstein's illusions about marriage had long since dissipated. He wrote to his sister: “Marriage is an unsuccessful attempt to create something lasting from short episode". Quarrels with Mileva continued, the matter was aggravated family drama- the youngest son Edward suffered from a mental disorder. It turned out that among the relatives of Mileva were schizophrenics.
Home life became a hell - especially after their maid Fanny gave birth to a child whose father Mileva thought Albert was. During quarrels, both spouses used their fists, then Mileva sobbed, Einstein reassured her ... As a result, he practically fled to Berlin, leaving his wife and children in Switzerland.
Their meetings became more and more rare, and in 1919 Einstein, who had had another woman for a long time, persuaded his wife to divorce. In compensation, he promised to give her Nobel Prize, no doubt that he will receive it soon. Einstein kept his word - the prize awarded to him in 1922 went entirely to Mileva and her sons.
Since then, Mileva lived alone in Zurich, not communicating with her former acquaintances and falling deeper and deeper into melancholy. She died in 1948, after which her son Eduard was placed in a psychiatric clinic. Another son, Hans Albert, left for the USA, where he became a famous engineer, creator of underwater structures. He was on close terms with his father, and until his death, Hans Albert kept Einstein's archive.
Second and last wife scientist was his cousin Elsa Leventhal. By the time they met, she was no longer young and was raising two daughters from her first husband. They met in Berlin, where Einstein arrived in 1914, shortly before the outbreak of the First World War. Their relationship was rather strange - he tried to look after not only Elsa, but also her younger sister Paula, as well as her 17-year-old daughter Ilsa.
By that time, Elsa was the mistress of the famous Don Juan Dr. Nicolai, who, in turn, also courted young Ilsa in every possible way. She even admitted in a letter to Dr. Nicolai: “I know that Albert loves me as much as, perhaps, no man will love me, he even told me about it himself yesterday.”
The romantic girl was going to marry Einstein, but in the end he preferred her mother. They got married immediately after the divorce from Mileva. Elsa was neither young nor beautiful, but she was an ideal housewife and secretary. Now Einstein could always count on Three meals a day, clean linen and the peace needed for scientific work.
He and his wife slept in separate bedrooms, and she had no right to enter his office at all. Not to mention the fact that Einstein forbade her to interfere in her personal life, which in those years remained very turbulent.
He also had longer hobbies - for example, the young and beautiful Betty Neumann, whom he officially settled in the house as a secretary (Elsa did not mind). The widow of banker Toni Mendel took Einstein to the theater in her own limousine, and from there to her villa. He returned home only in the morning.
Then she changed famous pianist Margaret Lebach, who accompanied the scientist when he played the violin. At times, Elsa still rebelled and burst into tears, but Einstein was able to convince his upset wife that he was truly attached only to her. Her daughters Ilsa and Margot always took the side of "dear Albert" - after all, his money and fame provided them fashionable outfits and enviable suitors.
The same arguments worked for Elsa, and the strange family life continued. In the big house there was a place for younger sister Einstein Maya and for his permanent secretary Helene Ducas, who, according to some statements, was also his mistress.
At the beginning of the twenties, Nazism was gaining strength in Germany, and threats were made against "Jewish scientists." Einstein was included in this list. Fearing for own life, the physicist remembered his Jewish roots and actively joined the movement for the creation of Israel (later he was even offered the post of president of this country).
In America, he was enthusiastically received by the Jewish community. In 1933, while in the States, Einstein learned about the rise of the Nazis. He immediately renounced German citizenship and asked political asylum in USA. America accepted him, Einstein received a professorship at Princeton University.
The family left Germany with him. The move worsened Elsa's health, and in 1936 she died. Albert reacted philosophically to her death - at that time he was more interested in the fight against fascism. He opposed the persecution of Jews in Germany, and, together with other American scientists, turned to Roosevelt with a request for the speedy creation of nuclear weapons.
The famous physicist even made theoretical calculations for the first nuclear bomb. After the war, Einstein was the first to advocate for disarmament - and came under suspicion by the FBI as a "communist agent". Hoover's office did not know how close it was to the truth - Moscow's agent settled in the scientist's house. Furthermore- in his bed.
In 1935, the sculptor Konenkov, an emigrant from Russia, visited Princeton to carve a bust of the great physicist. His wife came with him - a charming, slender brunette who looked much younger than her years. Margarita turned forty, in the past she had affairs with Chaliapin and Rachmaninov. Einstein immediately liked her and began to visit him often in his house - first with her husband, and then alone.
To lull Konenkov's suspicions, the scientist helped Margarita get a medical report that she was sick and that only the healing climate of Lake Saranak could help her. Einstein's there strange coincidence, there was a summer house.
Konenkov still did not get rid of suspicions, but Margarita firmly said that "friends in Moscow" considered her friendship with the physicist useful. Moreover, it is necessary for the return to the Motherland, which the sculptor so dreamed of. "Friends" worked at the Lubyanka, and Margarita more than once carried out their instructions.
Konenkova settled next to the physicist for seven whole years. They invented their own "lovers' dictionary", they called common things "Almars", and the apartment in Princeton was affectionately called "the nest". There they spent almost every evening - he wrote sonnets for her, and she read aloud, combed his famous gray curls and talked about the wonderful country of Russia. Einstein always loved the water, and on weekends the couple went on boat trips.
Along the way, he shared with her news about the American nuclear program, which Margarita transmitted to Moscow. In August 1945, she arranged for Einstein to meet with the Soviet vice-consul (and, of course, intelligence officer) Mikhailov, who received a detailed report on the first tests. atomic bomb in the state of New Mexico. Shortly thereafter, the Konenkovs returned to Soviet Union.
For some time, correspondence between the lovers was preserved. Einstein in his letters complained about illness, lamented that without her their “nest” was empty, hoped that she would settle well in her “roughened country”. Replies from her rarely came, and the scientist was indignant: “You do not receive my letters, I do not receive yours.
Despite what people say about my sharp scientific mind, I am completely unable to solve this problem. Soviet secret services did everything to interfere with their communication - Margarita completed her task, and now she was to become an exemplary wife of a patriotic sculptor.
At the end of life, no one would have recognized the former beauty in the overweight elderly woman. Margarita Konenkova died in Moscow in 1980. Einstein knew nothing of her fate. He still lived in Princeton, swearing at opponents, playing the violin, and sending telegrams to peace forums.
Einstein tried to match that perfect image in which the whole world now knew him. The girlfriend of his last years was the Czech librarian Johanna Fantova. The scientist trusted her with his last thoughts about science, which never managed to save humanity from hardships and wars.
His life is a strange combination of brilliant intellect and spiritual callousness. He didn't happy women who were dear to him. The scientific mind was powerless to unravel the mysteries of human relationships. He was too busy with physics to look for the formula for ideal love.
