Einstein's Wives: The Women in His Life
Albert Einstein married twice. His relationships reveal a personal life far more complicated than his public genius image suggested.
First Wife: Mileva Marić (1903-1919)
- Serbian physicist and mathematician
- Einstein's fellow student at ETH Zurich
- One of the first women to study physics at that level
- Brilliant in her own right
- Met in 1896 as students
- Married January 6, 1903
- Had three children together
- Divorced February 14, 1919
- Lieserl (1902) — Born before marriage; fate unknown (possibly adopted or died young)
- Hans Albert (1904) — Became a hydraulic engineering professor at UC Berkeley
- Eduard (1910) — Studied medicine but developed schizophrenia; institutionalized
- She helped with calculations
- She discussed physics with him
- Whether she co-developed theories is debated
- Einstein never credited her publicly
- She must serve him meals in his room
- She must stop talking when he asked
- She must expect no intimacy
She left him. He later gave her his Nobel Prize money as part of the divorce settlement.
Second Wife: Elsa Einstein (1919-1936)
- Einstein's first cousin (their mothers were sisters)
- Also his second cousin (their fathers were cousins)
- Previously married with two daughters
- Not a scientist
- Reconnected in 1912 while Einstein was still married
- Began affair in 1914
- Married June 2, 1919 (months after his divorce)
- Remained married until her death in 1936
- Handled his correspondence
- Protected his work time
- Managed social obligations
- Accepted his ongoing affairs
Einstein had relationships with other women during their marriage. Elsa apparently accepted this.
Einstein as Husband and Father
- Absent father to his children
- Eduard rarely saw him
- Hans Albert had a complicated relationship with him
- Multiple affairs during both marriages
He prioritized physics above personal relationships.
Modern Assessment
- Different era's expectations
- His obsessive focus on work
- Personal failings common to many geniuses
- The gap between public image and private reality
His personal life doesn't diminish his scientific achievements, but it complicates the "lovable genius" image.