#FamilyIsEverything. APL = 5.55/10 *Authorized conspiracy theorist *Not an authorized preacher.
#J316FGSLTWTHGHOBSTWBOHSNPBHEL
Interesting....when you look up Elsa Einstein. Their mothers were sisters...making them 1st cousins and their fathers were 1st cousins as well...so they were also 2nd cousins. Hmmm....
Born a rebel, mom of 9, former ER/NICU/PICU/Peds nurse, now M.Ed. Spec Ed, anti-vax, off grid lover, Christ follower, won't tolerate BS...
His first baby was born out of wedlock, had scarlet fever shortly before he married the mother (his first wife) and no one knows what happened to the baby. Most believe it died, since he was marrying the mother anyway why would they give the 4+ month old infant to an orphange? They went on to have more children and she was a good mother - unlikely the child was given away.
Took me a while to find out the reference where it was, a biography written by Albrecht Fölsing. My memory served me wrong (it's been 15 years since I read parts of it), it was not an orphanage. "Lieserl" was likely given for adoption.
Complicating the issue is the fact that Fölsing found no official documents of the girl, magistrate or church. The adoption happened likely during Mileva's trip to Novi Sad, which continued to Belgrade in 1903, when Albert sent here a letter. There is no information of Lieserl's first two years or any other years of her life. Albert never saw his first daughter. As for why would he do this? He didn't have any money at the time and was looking for a more stationary job.
The reason why I can believe there was a daughter in the first place is because she is mentioned in the letters.
What a difference does 15 years and particularly the last two years make in the way I read the excerpts of Albert.
The author is still stating an opinion, but factual evidence. There is evidence that the baby was extremely ill just before Einstein married the mother - and then nothing is heard about the child ever again. So lots of speculation. Adopted, an orphange, or death...back then scarlet fever killed most infants and small children, rarely did they survive it.
But this is a question we will never know the answer to!
Thanks for sharing that, I had not heard of this author or if I did, my memory is not bringing it up :) We all have issues with memory, it's one reason I document soooooo much. I've worked in nursing, education and the court system. Each one teaches you if you don't document, it didn't happen (CYA). But memory is fleeting too - it is easy to forget or mis-remember too!
The adoption is based on the discussion Albert had with his wife Mileva, that is preserved in one of the letters he sent to her.
Whether the letter is actually genuine, that's an entirely different story. I don't know if people at that time had the habit of preserving letters.
There's no mention of the scarlet fever and Lieserl, but the biography does mention the mental issues his other son was having.