Elsa Einstein - Biography

Elsa Einstein (January 18, 1876 – December 20, 1936) was a German cousin and the second wife of Albert Einstein. Elsa had the surname of Einstein at birth, lost it when she took the name of her first husband Max Löwenthal, and regained it in 1919 when she married her cousin Albert.

Early life

Elsa, the daughter of Rudolf Einstein, was born in Hechingen in January 1876. She had two sisters; Paula (c. 1878–c. 1955) and Hermine (1872–1942). Rudolf was a textile manufacturer in Hechingen. During the regular visits with the family in Munich, she often played with her cousin Albert. In her Swabian dialect, she called him "Albertle". After Albert Einstein had left Germany in 1894 to follow his family to Milan, their ways parted.

Married life

In 1896, Elsa married textiles trader Max Löwenthal (1864–1914), from Berlin, with whom she had three children: daughters Ilse and Margot and a son who was born and died in 1903. They lived together in Hechingen. In 1902, Max Loewenthal took a job in Berlin. His family stayed in Hechingen. She divorced Max on May 11, 1908, and moved with her two daughters to an apartment above her parents on Haberlandstrasse 5, in Berlin.

She began a relationship with her cousin Albert Einstein at Easter 1912 and married him on June 2, 1919. Elsa's and Albert's mothers were sisters, which made Elsa and Albert first cousins, and their fathers were first cousins. Ilse and Margot, Albert Einstein's first cousins once removed, had already changed their surname to Einstein and were now also his stepdaughters.

With daughters Ilse and Margot, the Einsteins formed a close-knit family. Although Albert and Elsa never produced any children of their own, Albert raised Ilse and Margot as his own. They lived in the Berlin area, also having a summer house in Caputh in nearby Potsdam.

Elsa spent most of her marriage with Albert acting as gatekeeper, protecting him from unwelcome visitors and charlatans. She also was the driving force building their summer house in 1929.

Late life

In 1933, Albert and Elsa Einstein immigrated to Princeton, New Jersey, USA. In autumn 1935, they moved to a house at 112 Mercer Street, bought that August, but shortly afterwards Elsa developed an eye swelling and was diagnosed with heart and kidney problems. Elsa died after a painful illness on December 20, 1936, in the house in Mercer Street.

See also

• List of coupled cousins

Citations