Who was Maja Einstein and how was she related to Albert Einstein?
Maja Einstein was the younger sister of physicist Albert Einstein and a scholar of Romance languages and literature. Born in Munich on the 18th of November 1881, she earned a doctorate from the University of Bern in 1909 and spent much of her adult life moving between Germany, Switzerland, and Italy before relocating to Princeton in 1939.
What was Maja Einstein's doctoral dissertation about?
Maja Einstein's dissertation examined the manuscript relationships between two Old French texts, the Chevalier au Cygne and Enfances Godefroy. She received her doctorate from the University of Bern in 1909 for this work in Romance languages and literature.
Why did Maja Einstein leave Italy and move to the United States?
Maja Einstein left Italy in February 1939 following the introduction of anti-Semitic laws by Benito Mussolini. She relocated to Princeton, New Jersey, to live with her brother Albert Einstein at his home on Mercer Street.
What happened to Maja Einstein's husband Paul Winteler when she fled Italy?
Paul Winteler was denied entry to the United States for health reasons when Maja Einstein relocated to Princeton in 1939. He stayed with relatives in Geneva for the rest of his life, maintaining correspondence with Maja until her death on the 25th of June 1951. He died in Geneva on the 15th of July 1952.
When did Maja Einstein earn her doctorate and from which university?
Maja Einstein received her doctorate from the University of Bern in 1909. Her dissertation examined the manuscript relationships between two Old French texts, the Chevalier au Cygne and Enfances Godefroy.
Did Albert Einstein financially support Maja Einstein?
Albert Einstein gave Maja Einstein and her husband Paul Winteler 7,000 Reichsmarks in 1924 to help pay off debts burdening their estate in Colonnata, outside Florence. The couple's financial difficulties continued due to unemployment even after that assistance.