Part 1 - The Institute Libraries - Institute for Advanced Study

y appointment.for a long walk and talk in Christ Church Meadows. There
he put tam fateful question: would the physicist secept a professorship
at the Institute? Einstetn's answer wss nnt decisive; he would gfve it
fim.1~ if Flexner could visit him at Caputh early in June. But the atnms-
phere was distinctly fsvorable t o Flexner's purpose, as it was unfavorable
to the fortunes of the Geragn Republic. For the first of the climactic
events which were to lead in less than a year to Hit1er.s accession t o
the chancellorship had already taken place,
Dr. Philip Frank Pas written that in 192E.Einstein foresaw the
fate of the Republic, and predicted that he could remain in Gemny for.
no longer than a decade. Nw, wrote Dr. Frank, the physicist regarded
Dr. Flexner's offer as a "'sign from heavenn that Zle should prepare to
migrate to America, 26
Wen they wt at Caputh on the 4th of Jme, Einstein agreed to
come to the Institute, and terms were discussed. After a long talk, Dr.
Einsteinwalked to the Berlin bus with Flexner, and the words "Ich bin
Feuer und Flame dafErw rang in the Director's ears as he took his &-
parture.27 After an exchange or two between tb, the term were agreed
in writing, and the Einsteins expressed their cmplete satisfaction. Dr.
Efnsteinwas to free himself from his Berlin connections, and t o infom
Dr. Hillikan t-hat after the winter of 1933 he would come to Pasadena no
more.28 The Berlin authorltfes were quite agreeable, provided Dr. Ein-
stein would spend hfa srrcmexs near Berlin, where he had a srmmer home.
But Dr, Millibn objected strenuously, taking his case directly to Flexner,
and telling htm what he already kneu: that frad it not been for the