Albert Einstein Library: From Princeton to Jerusalem

Marianna Gelfand

doi:10.11648/j.ajist.20190304.11

Abstract

This article, based on both historical and content analysis of Albert Einstein’s private library, presents a comprehensive picture of the Einstein Collection that was located at his home in Princeton, now housed at The Albert Einstein Archives at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His private library consisted of approximately 2,400 titles, including not only books but also a small collection of journals, musical scores and records. Staff members of the Archive succeeded in adding additional books, including works by Einstein himself and ones about him in various languages. These amounted to approximately 1,500 titles. Most of the books in Einstein’s library related to subjects other than physics. Many authors presented copies of their books to Einstein. Those books, usually with autographs or dedications by the authors, dealt with various fields of knowledge – philosophy, literature, religions, Jewish culture, etc. Content analysis of Einstein’s personal library reveals scientific, political, and social connections of the scientist. This article includes information about the main institutions involved in conveying the library to Jerusalem and in organizing it. These were the American Friends of The Hebrew University in New York, the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, and the Jewish National and University Library (today The National Library of Israel). The primary sources for the research on which this article is based are 1) material from The Albert Einstein Archives at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2) Inventory Books of the National Library of Israel, 3) <i>Kiryat Sefer</i>, bibliographical quarterly of the Jewish National and University Library, 4) Einstein’s reprint collection at The Weizmann Institute of Science. The following conclusions were drawn: 1) From the Einstein private library items were given as gifts both during his lifetime and after his death; 2) a large proportion of the books that Einstein gave to the National Library of Israel were registered in the Inventory Books of the National Library of Israel before the transfer of his complete library to Jerusalem; 3) Einstein's personal library includes books that actually belonged to other members of his family. For example, there are books, like those that belonged to his secretary Helen Dukas and to his stepdaughter Margot Einstein, that contain either the signature of the former owner or autograph/dedication by the author of the book. The article’s references to the contemporary Israeli press about Einstein’s visit to Israel elucidate Einstein’s role in the founding of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Highlights

In 2012, I was entrusted with classifying and cataloging Albert Einstein’s private library at The Einstein Archives at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
After the death of Albert Einstein, his library was transferred from his home at 112 Mercer Street in Princeton, New Jersey in the United States to the Jewish National and University Library in Jerusalem in 1987
Notes of JNUL employees and their correspondence with the Friends indicate that work was carried out to trace the fate of those books from Einstein's personal library which were not included among his books that were sent to the JNUL

Summary

Introduction

In 2012, I was entrusted with classifying and cataloging Albert Einstein’s private library at The Einstein Archives at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. During my work I became highly motivated to research and to understand the fate of Einstein’s library. The following questions arose, among others: How did the library come to Israel from Princeton? Who did contribute to make the transfer of the library possible? Do the Archives contain all his books? To which extent does the library reflect Albert Einstein’s scientific, social, and political interests and relationships?. The research is based on the Archives’ materials, local Hebrew press, The National Library’s inventory books, the bibliographical quarterly of the Jewish National and University Library (Kiryat Sefer), the Einstein reprint collection at The Weizmann Institute of Science, and several biographies on Einstein

The Einstein Library

Sending Einstein’s Home Library to Israel

Einstein’s Gifts

Dedications and Autographs

Einstein and “A Land of New Beginnings”

Conclusions