Where Relativity Was Born: Inside Einstein’s Bern Apartment

## Introduction

Albert Einstein’s groundbreaking work on the theory of relativity began, surprisingly, in a quiet, modest apartment in Bern, Switzerland. This article walks you through the rooms, the people who influenced him, and the everyday moments that sparked one of the most influential scientific revolutions of the 20th century.

## The Bern Arrival: A Young Physicist Setstle In

• Move to Bern (1912) – After leaving patent office duty in Bern, Einstein rented a second-floor studio on Kirchenwiesen Street.
• Living conditions – A single-room living space split into a small bedroom and a slanted work area.
• Daily routine – Balancing research, lessons at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and evening walks through the city.

## A Room by a Desk: The Heart of the Theory

• The work desk – A single, scarred table that hosted many late-night calculations.
• The drawing board – A portable canvas on which Einstein sketched space-time diagrams.
• Notable artifacts – The famous 1905 notebook pages, preserved by the Bern Public Library.

## Intellectual Circles: The Role of Colleagues and Students

• Mileva Marić – Einstein’s first wife and fellow physicist, who aided his early work.
• Karl Schwarzschild – The physicist who later provided the first solution to Einstein’s field equations.
• Local café conversations – How the Bern cafés served as informal lecture theaters.

## The Birth of the Theory in 1905

• Annus Mirabilis – Four seminal papers, including the special theory of relativity, published while Einstein was living in Bern.
• Proof of the speed of light – The experiments and thought experiments that led to his conclusions.
• Letters to the publisher – How Einstein’s correspondences helped refine his ideas.

## Legacy and Preservation

• Bern Historical Museum – Display of Einstein’s original apartment setup.
• Open house tours – How visitors can experience the environment where relativity took shape.
• Scholarly research – Ongoing studies into Einstein’s correspondence and day-to-day influences.

## FAQ

1. What year did Einstein move to Bern?
   1912.

2. Did Einstein write his famous papers while in Bern?
   Yes, the 1905 papers were written during his Bern residency.

3. What is the current status of Einstein’s apartment?
   It is preserved as a museum exhibit in Bern.

4. Was his wife, Mileva Marić, involved in the development of relativity?
   She was an informal collaborator and provided intellectual support.

5. Can visitors see the original desk used by Einstein?
   Yes, the reconstructed desk is part of the museum display.

## Resources

• Einstein Papers Project – Online archive of Einstein’s correspondence.
• Bern Historical Museum Website – Details on the exhibition and tour times.
• “Relativity: The Special and General Theory” by A. Einstein – Original text of the 1905 papers.
• “The Einstein-Finkelstein Papers” – A comprehensive collection of Einstein’s published works.
• Institute of Physics – History of Relativity – Scholarly articles and retrospectives.