Elsa Einstein

Elsa Einstein was born on 18 January 1876 in Hechingen, a small town in the German Empire. She was the daughter of Rudolf and Fanny Einstein, who were cousins and also the aunt and uncle of Albert Einstein. Elsa had two sisters, Paula and Hermine. She grew up in a close-knit family and often played with her cousin Albert, whom she called "Albertle" in her Swabian dialect. Elsa married Max Löwenthal, a textile trader from Berlin, in 1896. They had three children: Ilse, Margot, and a son who died shortly after birth. The marriage was unhappy and Elsa divorced Max in 1908. She moved with her daughters to Berlin, where she lived in an apartment above her parents. Elsa reconnected with Albert in 1912, when he was still married to his first wife, Mileva Marić, a Serbian physicist and mathematician. They began a romantic relationship and exchanged passionate letters. Albert separated from Mileva in 1914 and divorced her in 1919. He married Elsa on 2 June 1919, three months after the divorce. Elsa became Albert's loyal companion and protector. She nursed him back to health when he fell ill in 1917 and accompanied him on his travels around the world. She also acted as his gatekeeper, shielding him from unwanted visitors and distractions. She supported his scientific work and helped him cope with his fame. Elsa had a warm and cheerful personality. She enjoyed music, dancing, and socializing. She was devoted to her family and loved her stepsons, Hans Albert and Eduard, as her own. She also had a good relationship with her daughters, who admired their stepfather. Elsa suffered from heart and kidney problems in her later years. She moved with Albert to Princeton, New Jersey, in 1933, after he fled Nazi Germany. She died on 20 December 1936 at the age of 60. She was buried at Princeton Cemetery next to her parents.