The important thing is not to stop questioning.

Albert Einstein

Germany is celebrating
Einstein Year in 2005 in a
Einstein Year focuses on Albert Einstein the man, the
musician and pacifist, as well as on his scientific achievements as a physicist and their significance for the
modern world, and on his innovative ability, which extends
to the present day. Albert Einstein's work on the Photoelectric Effect, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize
in 1921, is the basis for the development of all kinds of
equipment where light is converted into electricity from
CD players to digital cameras to solar energy systems.

Dear Reader,
Albert Einstein, in all his facets as a politically and
socially committed individual, a cosmopolite of the
Jewish faith, a brilliant scientist and a lateral thinker
has a special meaning for me. His actions and his social
responsibility were, and remain, exemplary. His fine
sense of humour and his study of both humankind and
matter are equally fascinating. Albert Einstein gave
science a human face across space and time.
Today, 100 years after the formulation of the Theory
of Relativity and 50 years after his death, we are celebrating Einstein Year 2005 in a joint initiative launched
by the Federal Government, science, industry and culture. UNESCO is also celebrating Albert Einstein and
has declared 2005 the World Year of Physics.

The important thing is not to stop questioning. inquisitiveness and thought, imagination and creativity are
precisely what we need when we talk about creating a
new culture of innovation in Germany.
Just as Albert Einstein and his research once established
the foundations for significant innovations, it is important
today to fill Einstein's heirs our young people with
enthusiasm for scientific topics and encourage them to
play an active part.
Einstein Year 2005 offers everyone the opportunity to
get to know Albert Einstein, the person, the scientist, in
numerous exhibitions, colloquia and events. This brochure
provides a preview of the varied programme.

joint initiative launched by

the Federal Government,
science, industry and culture.
The occasion is the 100th
anniversary of the Theory of
Relativity and the 50th anniversary of the death of the
world-famous scientist.
In 1905, Albert Einstein
published five essays in
quick succession which fundamentally changed our
image of the world. These

Accompany us as we trace the path of a great researcher

through the fascinating world of science. Join in! Use your
imagination! Take part in the celebrations!

essays revolutionised the

classical concept of space,
time, matter and energy. >

Edelgard Bulmahn
Federal Minister of Education and Research

2|3

Joy in looking and comprehending is natures most beautiful gift. Albert Einstein

> Einstein Year pays tribute

to a man who continues to

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
The themes of Einstein Year 2005

fascinate and inspire the

6|7

a brilliant physicist, lateral

Albert Einstein
The man and scientist
Nothing will ever become of you, Einstein!

8|9

Einsteins legacy
His ideas continue to have an effect even today

10 | 11

The Einstein myth

A scientist penetrates the universe

12 | 13

Annus mirabilis
100 years of the Theory of Relativity

world. Albert Einstein was

thinker, pacifist, cosmopolite
and visionary.
At school Einstein thought
about questions which his
teachers did not ask. Later
he revolutionised the foun-

14 | 15

dations of physics. >

Einstein Year 2005

Key stakeholders and partners

16 | 19

The programme

20 | 25

Special events during Einstein Year 2005

26 | 27

Playing an active role in Einstein Year 2005

28 | 29

Contact information and partners

Imprint

30 | 31

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The themes of Einstein Year 2005

Einstein thought in a complex way. He had many interests and even more talents. He was born in Germany
during the Wilhelminian period and became a man of
modern times. In 1999, Time Magazine voted Einstein
Person of the Century. In the 1920s, he was enthusiastically celebrated throughout the world as the new
Newton, as a revolutionary who totally overturned our
concept of the world. He was also witness to radical
historical and social change. Einstein the scientist, and
Einstein the unconventional man. These are the two
poles in the exemplary life of a Jewish intellectual in
the first half of the 20th century. Einstein Year 2005 will
set thematic priorities to do justice to this wide span
of experience.
Einsteins thoughts went further than those of other
people. All he needed was his curiosity and his mind.
Einstein Year wants to make contact with this joy in thinking, this courage to rethink the world and to turn it upside down. Germany needs a new culture of innovation.

After all, innovation is the engine for economic, social

and cultural development. Unconventional thinking is
the basis for all innovative developments.
Einstein Year sets out to arouse enthusiasm for science
and research and joy in change and in things new by
offering unusual encounters with the mysteries of science
and their solutions.

Einstein did not like school, but he was nevertheless

one of the cleverest pupils. He enjoyed science. This
joy in wanting to know and thinking things through is
at the heart of Einstein Year. By enabling them to share
in Einsteins exciting realms of thought, it is intended
to awaken school students interest in the sciences.
And not least, Einstein Year 2005 is also about the international attractiveness of Germany as a place to study

Einstein was a committed political figure. A scientist

who intervened in the political debates of his time and
who was aware of his social responsibility. Even today
50 years after his death his personality encourages us
to overcome the division between scientific work and
political thought and action. Einstein Year sets out to
continue Einsteins support for peace and to tackle the
questions of today.

and conduct research and about the prospects for young

up-and-coming scientists in science and industry.

I never worry about the future. It comes soon enough. Albert Einstein

Einstein was not a religious person. His expression of

faith in Judaism was based on his experiences during
the Weimar Republic and on the beginnings of National
Socialism. Anti-Semitism made him become a supporter
of the Zionist movement. He also supported the foundation of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

> UNESCO has designated

2005 as World Year of
Einstein Year will explain and discuss Einsteins relationship to Judaism, his commitment to, but also his critical
position towards, Zionist ideas and towards the foundation
of the state of Israel.
Einstein played the violin. He considered imagination to
be more important than knowledge. His fundamental
changes to the understanding of space and time not only
overturned the scientific world, modern artists also discovered these new ideas and used them for themselves.
The classical avantgarde as well as futurists and members of the Bauhaus explored the new image of the world.
Einstein Year will also take a look at these artistic reactions: films, exhibitions and installations, plays and operas
are all important elements of Einstein Year.

Physics. In Germany, the

Federal Ministry of Education
and Research and the
Science in Dialogue (WiD)
initiative are organising
Einstein Year 2005. Other
key stakeholders are:
the Max Planck Institute for
the History of Science,
the Berlin-Brandenburg
Academy of Science,
the German Physical Society,
the House of BrandenburgPrussian History and
the Einstein Forum. >

6|7

The man and scientist

Nothing will ever become of you, Einstein!
Albert Einstein is born in Ulm on 14 March 1879 and
spends his childhood in Munich. He is an unusual child.
He only learns to speak very slowly. Until he is seven he
says every sentence quietly to himself before speaking
it out aloud.
But even if he makes the impression of being reserved,
he is interested in the world of ideas and in physics from
a very early age. Contrary to the legend, Einstein is not
bad at school but rather average except in physics
where his work is very good. As a student at the Eidgenssische Polytechnische Hochschule (ETH) in Zurich
his marks are always excellent. Some of his teachers
believe, however, that nothing will ever become of
Einstein because he is obstinate and unwilling to learn.
Shortly after his final exams he sends his first scientific article to the Annals of Physics, one of the most
renowned journals in this field.
He does not find employment immediately. After two
years of searching in vain, he obtains a permanent job
at the Swiss Patent Office in Bern. Einstein spends
seven happy years in Bern as a civil servant at the
Patent Office. He marries his fellow student Mileva
Maric. Together they have two sons. Their daughter
Lieserl, who is born before they marry, is given away

for adoption soon after her birth. Einstein never sees

her. Free of financial worries, Einstein devotes himself
to his interests in his spare time: he occupies himself
with the theories on atoms, electrons, space and time.
In 1905 Einsteins annus mirabilis the 26 yearold opens up in a short time more horizons in physics
than anyone before him. He publishes five trailblazing
essays in quick succession among them an essay on
the Photoelectric Effect for which he receives the Nobel
Prize in 1921. He also records his most famous formula,
E = mc2, in this year of wonders the formula which
almost everyone knows but hardly anyone can really
explain. This formula is part of the Special Theory of
Relativity, with which Einstein earns the recognition
of his physicist colleagues and later universal fame.
After a few years as Professor in Zurich and Prague,
Einstein is attracted to Berlin, at the time the absolute
centre of scientific research. From 1914 to 1932 he lives
and works as a member of the Prussian Academy of
Science and as head of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for
Physics. These are 18 eventful years, a turbulent period
both politically and privately. Following his divorce from
Mileva, he marries his cousin Elsa Lwenthal and adopts
her two daughters from her first marriage.

> Einstein Year 2005 follows

the tradition of the Science
Years which have taken place
since 2000 with a different
focus each year 2004 was
the Year of Technology.
The aim of these Science Years
is to provide a platform for
the dialogue between science
I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious. Albert Einstein

In 1919 Einstein suddenly comes into the public eye.

The reason: the General Theory of Relativity, which
he published four years earlier, is confirmed by astronomical observations. One of the central insights was
that light rays are deflected by the gravity of the sun.
This minimal effect can only be observed during a total
eclipse of the sun, however. A British expedition succeeds
in making this observation in 1919. Their spectacular findings shortly after the end of World War I bring Einstein
international fame.
Einstein makes use of his reputation for political and
social objectives. He works actively for the cause of
Zionism and pacifism and supports numerous initiatives and campaigns to maintain and extend democratic
rights. The Reich Government uses Einstein as an ambassador of the new democratic Germany in Europe
and the world. Following the seizure of power by the
National Socialists and the victory of anti-Semitism,
Einstein is defamed as a Jew and his scientific work
as Jewish physics. Einstein, who is abroad at the
time, declares his resignation from the Academy and
never returns to Germany. National Socialist Germany
renounces and expropriates the scientist who had formerly been celebrated.

Einstein lives in the USA from autumn 1933 until April

1955. His most famous and at the same time most momentous political action in exile is most certainly the letter
which he writes to the American President Franklin D.
Roosevelt shortly before the outbreak of World War II.
In this letter he expresses the fear that Germany could
be in a position to build an atomic bomb and refers to the
need for the US to make an increased effort to develop an
atomic bomb. Following the use of the bomb on Japan,
which developed without his personal involvement, and
the recognition that this was a disastrous step for mankind, Einstein devotes the rest of his life to the goal of
outlawing atomic bombs.

and a wider public. At the

same time, Einstein Year
stands out from the tradition
of the Science Years: for the
first time the focus is not on
a field of science but on a
figure of contemporary and
scientific history. >

In the field of science, Einstein in his later years devotes

himself increasingly to the Quantum Theory and the
formulation of a unified field theory the so-called world
formula which is to link gravity and electrodynamics.
But despite intensive work and a long search he does
not find this formula.
Einstein dies on 18 April 1955 at the age of 76. So far all
attempts to define the unified field theory have remained
without success. Now, 50 years after Einsteins death, the
question is still: Will there ever be a world formula?

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Einsteins legacy
His ideas continue to have an effect even today
Without us realising it, we encounter Albert Einstein in
different fields of everyday life. The GPS system in our
cars guides us safely through the traffic. Our purchases
in the supermarket are registered by a scanner cash
register. And we took our latest holiday snaps using our
new digital camera.
Even if Einstein himself did not write his most important
essays for practical use or personal profit, his abstract
thoughts on light, space and time have led to many technological innovations which appear to us today to be quite
normal. Whether it be a CD player, a television set or a
modern computer, these new inventions are often based
on one of Albert Einsteins theories.

Mathematics is the only perfect method of pulling wool over ones own eyes. Albert Einstein

Many people associate Einstein with the development of

the atomic bomb or nuclear energy. In 1905, Einstein was
indeed the first person to prove that atoms actually do
exist, not just hypothetically. And in his most famous
formula, E = mc2, he showed that the mass of atoms
contains enormous quantities of energy. But this theory
was only of indirect importance for the atomic revolution.
Einsteins ideas had a much more direct influence on
inventions such as the television, for example. It is
thanks to his Special Theory of Relativity that we are
able to receive such sharp images today. Electrons are
accelerated in a television and, according to the Theory
of Relativity, the mass of electrons thereby increases
measurably. If one did not take this increase in mass
into account, the electrons on the screen would show
divergences in the millimetre range. All the images
would be blurred.

> Einsteins ideas continue

to have an impact even today.
Another type of picture would not be possible without
Einsteins theories, either. Digital cameras can only take
pictures because they contain a small sensor which converts light into electricity. The principle can be traced
directly back to Einstein, who explained the Photoelectric
Effect in 1905. Not only does this work form the basis
for the development of all equipment which converts
light into electricity from digital cameras to solar cells
it also earned him the Nobel Prize in November 1921
(awarded 1922).
All technologies which involve the use of laser beams are
based on Einsteins theories. In 1924, Einstein was the
first person to recognise the principles of monochrome,
bundled laser light. Satellite-assisted positioning systems
on earth, so-called GPS, make use of Einsteins ideas.

Pieces of equipment which can relay their position with

an accuracy of less than 30 metres divergence take into
account the effects of relativity on time measurement by
atomic clocks when these circle the earth at great speed
in satellites.
Einsteins influence on present-day inventions is still
huge even 50 years after his death. Physicists are already dreaming of quantum computers. Einstein also
played a key role in this technological revolution. In
1935, he recognised that particles can be in different
states at the same time. This observation developed
into a future-oriented research area, and it is possible
that quantum computers will revolutionise the world
in the 21st century.

Einstein Year 2005 shows

what dominating role his theories play in our lives today.
There would be no light
diodes or laser, and thus no
CD and DVD equipment and
computer chips without
Einsteins light-quantum
hypothesis. Digital cameras,
light barriers or radar
receivers would not have
been possible without the
discovery of the photoeffect.
And GPS equipment would
be way off the mark without
Einsteins Special and General
Theory of Relativity. >

10 | 11

The Einstein myth

A scientist penetrates the universe
Everyone recognises Albert Einsteins likeness, whether
they be Europeans or Asians, adults or children, scientists or people who have nothing to do with physics. The
engineer of the universe, as one child once called him,
is an icon he is one of the most well-known personalities of the 20th century. He was able to explain the universe like no one before him and no one since. What is
it that fascinates us about this brilliant scientist? What
continues to make Albert Einstein so interesting for
many people today?
Einstein himself remarked that it was the mystery of
not understanding that attracted many people to his
theories. These talk about invisible particles, distant
stars and the entire universe things which people

have dreamt about for thousands of years. Einstein contemplated questions which are difficult to understand,
such as four dimensions, which can only be understood
as a single unit. He thought about stars which are not
where they appear to be; about clocks which go slower
with the speed of light; about energy as mass. Only few
people were able to follow him when he talked about his
theories. But, Einstein was right!
But that is not all. The Einstein myth is also based on his
life and his personal manner. The story of Einsteins life
slumbers in our collective subconscious as that of a
boy who had problems with his teachers and the German
school system, but who nevertheless developed to become
an outstanding scientist. Einsteins personality continues

> Einstein Year 2005 is aimed

particularly at young people
and at young scientists.
Nationwide competitions,
summer camps, pupils labs
and childrens universities
are part of the programme.
New television formats for
children and young people
and materials for interdisciplinary, practice-related
teaching during Einstein
Year 2005 will encourage
the dialogue and promote a
Why is it that nobody understands me, yet everybody likes me? Albert Einstein

lasting interest in research,

to fascinate us today. He was politically active, being more
pragmatic than programmatic, and he did not seek personal advantage. He thought about religion and philosophy,
about social and political shortcomings.

ideas and discovery. >

Many of his political ideas were radical and so unswerving that the policymakers of his time could make very
little use of them. But he was, and still is, respected
for this unconventional and unfaltering attitude. Albert
Einstein became the symbol of a socially responsible
scientist worldwide.

12 | 13

Annus mirabilis
100 years of the Theory of Relativity
It happens only rarely that a scientist manages to develop
several theories which revolutionise our concept of nature.
It is even more rare that an individual scientist thinks
out such fundamental new ideas in different fields that
he deserves the Nobel Prize for each individual idea.
It appears almost impossible that a 26-year-old could
have managed both. It is absolutely incredible and all the
more fascinating that Albert Einstein managed all this
in a single year.
But this is exactly how it was. In Einsteins year of wonders
1905, he published five essays at breathtaking speed
one of them his doctoral thesis. Two of these essays turn
the whole of theoretical physics upside down.

The greatest scientists are artists as well. Albert Einstein

The Latin term annus mirabilis is often used instead

of year of wonders. For a long time this was the term
used to describe the year 1666, when the legendary Isaac
Newton established the foundations of modern physics.
On 17 March 1905, Einstein submits a paper on the
radiation and energetic properties of light to one of
the most renowned journals for theoretical physics,
the Annals of Physics. In a letter to his friend Conrad
Habicht, he writes that the paper is very revolutionary.
And indeed Einstein throws the world of physics into
turmoil because he shows that light possesses particle
properties. He thus explains the Photoelectric Effect,
which states that light can convert itself into electricity.
In 1921 he earns the Nobel Prize for Physics for this
work (awarded in 1922).

> Albert Einstein lived and

taught in Berlin and Potsdam
from 1914 until emigrating to
the United States in 1933.
These two cities are therefore the central venues for
events during Einstein Year
2005. The Humboldt
University Berlin, Einsteins
summer house in Caputh
and the Einstein Tower on
On 30 April 1905, Einstein completes his 21-page doctoral
thesis. In it he combines two quite different theories:
the classical theory on moving liquids and gases, and
the theory on solutions in liquids. He is the first person
to answer the burning question in the field of physics:
do atoms really exist, and if so, how can one count them
and determine their size? Today Einsteins paper is one
of the most fundamental and most quoted works in the
field of physics.
Less than two weeks later, on 11 May 1905, the editors
of the Annals of Physics receive Einsteins next article.
In this Einstein provides the first correct explanation for
why, under the microscope, lifeless particles conduct fine
random movements. This phenomenon is also known as
the Brownian Molecular Movement.

By 30 June the postman has already delivered the next

article to the editors of the Annals of Physics. This
time it is on quite a different principle. It is about what
we now call the Special Theory of Relativity. A further
article on the Special Theory of Relativity follows on
27 September. This contains what is probably the most
famous of all formulae: E = mc2.
And finally, on 19 December 1905, he expands on his
ideas on the Brownian Molecular Movement.
The articles from the year of wonders 1905 document a
unique series of ground-breaking ideas and discoveries
from the world of physics. Einsteins trailblazing thoughts
deserve to be suitably honoured and celebrated 100 years
after their original publication.

Telegraph Hill in Potsdam

are just a few of the many
places on our walk in
Einsteins footsteps through
Berlin and Brandenburg. But
throughout Germany, cities
from Bremen to Munich and
from Hanover to Ulm will
celebrate this great man and
brilliant scientist. >

14 | 15

Key stakeholders and partners

The initiators of the Einstein Year are the Federal
Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium
fr Bildung und Forschung, BMBF) and the Science in
Dialogue, (Wissenschaft im Dialog, WiD) initiative.

The Federal Ministry of

Education and Research has
been organising the Science
Years since 2000 in cooperation with the Science in
Dialogue (WiD) initiative. The objective of the Science
Years is to showcase the benefit of science for society.
During the previous five Science Years Year of Physics,
Year of the Life Sciences, Year of the Geosciences,
Year of Chemistry and Year of Technology information on current topics and important research in the five
branches of sciences was distributed, and a contribution
towards a more innovation-friendly climate made. So far,
it was individual disciplines that were made the focus
of the Science Years now, with 2005, the Einstein Year,
for the first time a person from history and the history
of science is the centre of attention.

The following organisations and institutions are involved

in the conception, preparation and organisation of the
Einstein Year, and are participating with their own events:

The Science in Dialogue

(WiD) initiative, which was
launched with BMBF support in 1999 by the leading German science organisations
and the Donors Association for the Promotion of Sciences
and Humanities in Germany, fosters dialogue between
researchers and the general public. A central element
of the work of Science in Dialogue is the Summer of
Science a major annual science festival which takes
place in varying locations. Numerous activities and events
of the Summer of Science will be hosted by Potsdam
and Berlin during Einstein Year.

Research at the 78 Max Planck

Institutes (MPG) has a long tradition and deals with fundamental
issues of the natural and life sciences and the humanities. The
Max Planck Society will contribute
various events to Einstein Year
2005. The exhibition Albert Einstein Engineer of the
Universe, which is coordinated by the Max Planck
Institute for the History of Science in Berlin, will be
among the highlights. Research at the Institute, which
was established in 1994, deals with the historical development of scientific thinking, particularly in the natural
sciences.

The Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of

Science (BBAW) is
a transborder and cross-disciplinary scholarly society
which is amongst the largest non-university humanities
research institutions in the Berlin-Brandenburg region.
The Academy is closely linked with Albert Einstein as he
was a member of its predecessor, the Prussian Academy
of Science. In Einstein Year, the BBAW, together with
the Max Planck Society, will invite winners of the Nobel
Prizes for Physics, Chemistry, Medicine and Physiology to
participate in Einsteins Miracle Century Celebration in
Berlin and Potsdam. Furthermore, the BBAW is coorganiser of the conference Einstein for the 21st Century.

The German
Physical
Society (DPG)
is the oldest and largest physical society in the world
with more than 47,000 members. Albert Einstein was
among its members, and between 1916 and 1918 he
was President of the DPG. The DPG will commemorate
Einstein in 2005 with the conference Physics since
Einstein, which will be held in Berlin in March and is
expected to bring together more than 5,000 participants
from all over the world. In addition, the DPG will organize
the Highlights of Physics within the framework of the
Summer of Science, including among other things a
science exhibition and a national schools competition.

> A central part of Einstein

Year is the exhibition entitled
The Einstein Forum Potsdam
was established in 1993 as a
place for international scientific
and cultural exchange. Paying tribute to Einsteins legacy
and bearing his name, the Einstein Forum crosses the
borders of scientific disciplines and brings together
scientists, artists and policymakers from all over the
world in meetings, lectures, workshops and conferences
organised for a broad public. In 2005, the Einstein Forum
will hold the conference Einstein for the 21st Century,
open Einsteins summer house in Caputh together with
the Hebrew University Jerusalem and mount the exhibition Einstein Spaces, and it will be the coorganiser of
the international peace conference Einsteins thoughts
a basis for peace in the 21st century.

The House of BrandenburgPrussian History (HBPG) provides a forum for the active and
critical study of the history of
Brandenburg and Prussia. Its
contribution to Einstein Year is an exhibition on the cultural and scientific history of the Einstein Tower. Furthermore, it coordinates the events commemorating Einstein
in Potsdam, and it is a partner of the Summer of Science.

Albert Einstein Engineer of

the Universe, which will be
opened in the Kronprinzenpalais (Crown Princes Palace)
in Berlin in May 2005. The
exhibition portrays Einstein
not only as a significant scientist of the 20th century but
also as an outstanding figure
of contemporary history.
Changes in the historical
images of the world are
depicted on the basis of his
work. At the same time, the
exhibition will show Albert
Einsteins winding journey
through life against the background of the political and
societal events of his time. >

16 | 17

Apart from the key stakeholders, many other partners

from science, industry and culture are participating and
making their own contributions to Einstein Year 2005.
The following is a list of current participants:

Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. Albert Einstein

Supporters and sponsors:

BASF
Bundesministerium fr Familie, Senioren, Frauen
und Jugend
Caf Einstein Berlin
City Clean
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Telekom Stiftung
Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung fr Kultur
und Medien / Kulturstiftung des Bundes
Fachverband fr Auenwerbung
Hebrew University, Jerusalem
Heinz Nixdorf Stiftung
Land Brandenburg Lotto
Siemens
Stiftung Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin
Stiftung Lesen
Wall
Media partners:
3sat
Berliner Morgenpost
Der Tagesspiegel
Deutsche Welle
DeutschlandRadio / Deutschlandfunk
DIE ZEIT
GEO
GEOlino
Life & Science
Mrkische Allgemeine Zeitung
RBB Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg
Spektrum der Wissenschaft
Unicum
ZDF Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen

> Further highlights in

Einstein Year are the International Congress of the
Partners:
Albert-Einstein-Oberschule Neuklln
Astrophysikalisches Institut Potsdam
Berlinische Galerie
Bertelsmann-Stiftung
Brsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels
Brandenburgischer Kunstverein Potsdam
Centrum Judaicum Stiftung Neue Synagoge Berlin
Deutsche Energie-Agentur
Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Philosophie
Deutsche Messe
Deutsche Stiftung Friedensforschung
Deutsche Zentrale fr Tourismus
Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag
Deutsches Historisches Museum
Deutsches Museum
Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt
Deutsches Theater Berlin
Deutsches Zentrum fr Luft- und Raumfahrt
Deutsch-Franzsisches Jugendwerk
Filmmuseum Potsdam
Forum fr Politik und Kultur
Freie Universitt Berlin
Goethe-Institut
Grips Theater
Gymnasium Sderelbe
Gymnasium Unterhaching
Hans Otto Theater
Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin
Humboldt-Gymnasium Berlin
Humboldt-Universitt zu Berlin
Initiativgemeinschaft aueruniversitrer
Forschungseinrichtungen in Adlershof

Initiativkreis Albert-Einstein-Haus Caputh

internationales literaturfestival berlin
Jdisches Museum Berlin
Kompetenzzentrum Frauen in Informationsgesellschaft
und Technologie
Lehmanns Fachbuchhandlung
Lettre International, Berlin
Max-Planck-Institut fr Gravitationsphysik /
Albert-Einstein-Institut, Golm
Mnchner Volkshochschule
Piper Verlag
Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs
Rat Deutscher Planetarien
Robert Bosch Stiftung
Schulen ans Netz
staatsbankberlin Labor fr angewandte Musik
Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin Preuischer Kulturbesitz
Staatsoper Unter den Linden
Stadt- und Landesbibliothek Potsdam
Stadthaus Ulm
StattReisen Berlin
Stiftung Jugend forscht
Technische Universitt Berlin
Technischer Jugendfreizeit- und Bildungsverein
Universitt Bayreuth
Universitt Potsdam
Universitt Bremen
Urania Berlin
Vereinigung Deutscher Wissenschaftler
Volkshochschule Potsdam
Volkssternwarte Laupheim
Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin

German Physical Society

in Berlin in March 2005;
the visit to Berlin by Nobel
Prize Winners for Physics,
Chemistry and Medicine,
and the event organised by
the Max Planck Society on
Science and Social Responsibility, both in June. Einsteins
commitment as a pacifist
will be honoured at the
international conference
on Einstein and Peace in
October. Furthermore, Einstein
Year is also included on the
programme of the Church
Congress in Hanover and of
the international literature
festival in Berlin. >

18 | 19

The programme
Einstein Year 2005 is setting a new trend. For the first
time, the focus of a Science Year is not on a scientific
discipline but on a figure of contemporary history. The
central events of Einstein Year will take place in Berlin
and Potsdam the two cities where Einstein lived and
worked until emigrating to the USA in 1933.
But traces of Einsteins scientific work can also be found
in other places in Germany. Numerous events will take
place all over Germany, from Bremen to Munich and from
Ulm to Hanover, and their focus will be on Einstein, the
man and scientist. The following is a brief overview of the
most important events in Einstein Year 2005:

Conference Einstein for the 21st Century

International conference from 20 to 22 January, organised by the Einstein Forum Potsdam in cooperation with
the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Science. Leading
Einstein researchers from Europe, the USA and Israel will
discuss the importance and topicality of Albert Einsteins
work. The conference will focus on the influence of this
socially committed scientist on modern life in general,
including science, politics, art and philosophy.

International conference Physics since Einstein

The German Physical Society, the oldest and largest
physical society in the world, will be commemorating
Einstein and his work from 4 to 9 March 2005. More
than 5,000 people are expected to participate in the
conference in Berlin. The programme will include
about 6,300 contributions by experts and numerous
public lectures at the Technical University Berlin, the
Humboldt University Berlin and the Urania Science
Centre. Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schrder and
Fritz Stern, historian and winner of the German booksellers peace prize, will speak at the official ceremony
on 6 March 2005.

> In addition, Einstein Year

is part of the programme
of the Church Congress
(Evangelischer Kirchentag)
of the German Protestant
Church and of the CeBIT Fair
in Hanover, it enriches the
programme of the International Literature Festival,
the Long Night of Museums
and the Long Night of Science
The state is made for man, not man for state. Albert Einstein

Exhibition relatively jewish.

Albert Einstein Jew, Zionist, Nonconformist
In its exhibition, the New Synagogue Berlin Centrum
Judaicum Foundation focusses on Einsteins complex
relationship with Judaism, Zionism and the founding of
the State of Israel. The exhibition will be accompanied
by a series of lectures and concerts. It will be open from
8 March to 6 May and from 1 to 30 September 2005.

Exhibition A tower for Albert Einstein Potsdam,

light and the exploration of the skies
The Einstein Tower on the Telegrafenberg (Telegraph
Hill) in Potsdam was built between 1919 and 1924; it
was the result of Einsteins cooperation with the astronomer Erwin Finlay-Freundlich and the architect Erich
Mendelsohn. The exhibition of the House of Brandenburg-Prussian History in the Potsdam Kutschstall will
present the Einstein Tower from 19 March to 26 June 2005
as a monument of modern architecture and modern
science. It shows the history of the planning and construction of the tower and its importance in the history of
architecture as well as its function as a large scientific
facility and the research conducted with it.

in Berlin, and it will be part of

the Science Festival in Bremen
and of the worlds largest
science congress, the AAASCongress in Washington. >

20 | 21

Look deep, deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. Albert Einstein

Opening of the summer house in Caputh

For a long time, Einsteins summer house has not been
generally open to the public. It will be reopened in May
2005 by the Hebrew University Jerusalem and the
Einstein Forum after major renovation. Between 1929
and 1932, the scientific and political avantgarde of the
time met in the house in Caputh, which had been built
by the architect Konrad Wachsmann. The summer house
is also a testimony to German history from Einsteins
emigration to the present day. Now it is again to become
a place for scientific, political and cultural dialogue.

Exhibition The fascination of discovery:

Albert Einstein and physics in the 20th century
The Deutsches Museum in Munich will honour Albert
Einstein with a large special exhibition from 7 May to
31 December 2005. The exhibition will show the relevance of Einsteins work to todays world be it GPS,
lasers, the silicon chip or the atomic bomb and it
will explain current activities in physical research, particularly in cosmology. Furthermore it will give an overview of Albert Einsteins life and relate his research to
his biography; it will reflect his close relations with the
Deutsches Museum and the City of Munich. Einsteins
scientific work will thus be considered in the political
and cultural context of his time. Lectures, discussions
and guided tours will accompany the exhibition.

> Numerous national and

international partners from
science, industry and culture
are shaping the programme
for Einstein Year 2005.
Schools, adult education centres, universities and book
shops, theatres, museums
and festivals, cultural foundations and the Goethe
Institute are among the
Exhibition Albert Einstein Engineer of
the Universe
The exhibition which will be shown in the Berlin Kronprin-

zenpalais from 16 May to 30 September 2005 is among

the central events of Einstein Year. Einstein, the most
important scientist of the 20th century and an outstanding figure of contemporary history, as well as the scientific
revolution triggered by him will be presented to a broad
public. Original exhibits, Einsteins writings as well as
media stations and films are being combined to offer
the visitor a unique insight into Einsteins activities, the
changing scientific views of the world, the dynamism of
scientific development and Einsteins world today. This
is an exhibition of the Max Planck Society, designed and
organised by the Max Planck Institute for the History of
Science in Berlin.

growing circle of partners

which also includes German
states and local authorities,
companies, associations,
newspapers and television
companies. >

22 | 23

One must be especially critical of oneself. Albert Einstein

Summer of Science 2005

Einstein will also be the main topic of the Summer of
Science 2005 in Potsdam and Berlin. Between 11 and
26 June, exhibitions, lectures, films and other events
will trace Einsteins path and show not only his scientific
legacy but also his personality and view of the world. The
opening event will be the Long Night of Sciences, which
has become a tradition in Berlin and Potsdam since it
was first organised five years ago. All about Einstein
will be presented in a big dome tent in Berlin, which
will attract visitors with its exhibits and lectures as well
as a short opera and a Science Cafe. The programme
in Berlin will be complemented by the Highlights of
Physics exhibition of the German Physical Society. The
events in Potsdam will mainly take place on the Neuer
Markt and around the Einstein Tower on Telegraph Hill.
The Summer of Science is organised by the Science in
Dialogue (WiD) initiative together with local and regional
institutions in Berlin and Brandenburg.

> The popularisation of

science is the driving force
in Einstein Year 2005. This
includes unusual and surprising encounters with
Einsteins words in the
course of everyday life and
a lively research landscape
which is open to everyone.
E.M.C2 Einstein's Miracle Century Celebration
In Einstein Year 2005, the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy
of Science and the Max Planck Society are inviting the
winners of the Nobel Prizes for Chemistry, Physics,
Medicine and Physiology to participate in E.M.C2
Einsteins Miracle Century Celebration. From 23 to
25 June 2005, immediately before the 2005 Nobel prizewinners meeting in Lindau, the invited Nobel prizewinners will visit the places where Einstein worked in
Berlin and in Potsdam and its environs. This is to pay
tribute to Albert Einstein, the man and the scientist,
and his revolutionising contribution to the development
of science.
Exhibition Einstein Spaces
An art project of the Einstein Forum at nine locations
in Berlin, Potsdam and Caputh from 4 September to
30 October 2005. Nine international artists Olafur
Eliasson and Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster among
others will perform their work exactly in those places
where Einstein lived and worked between 1914 and
1932/33. The artists work will relate to the history of
the places and interpret the past for present-day life,
using different media and strategies.

Conference Einstein's thoughts a basis for peace

in the 21st century
The three-day conference, which will be held in Berlin
from 14 to 16 October 2005, will focus on Einsteins political commitment. It will deal with the importance of
social responsibility in scientific work today. It will provide a forum for the interdisciplinary dialogue between the
natural and social sciences and the humanities.
The conference is organised by the Einstein Forum,
the German Foundation for Peace Research (DSF), the
Association for Peace and Conflict Research (AFK), the
Research Association for Science, Disarmament and
International Security (FONAS), the Natural Scientists
Initiative for Peace, and the Association of German
Scientists (VDW).

The Summer of Science

organised by the Science
in Dialogue (WiD) initiative in
Potsdam and Berlin in June
will provide an insight into
the work and influence of
this great thinker and will
amaze us with examples of
modern-day applications of
Einsteins findings. >

24 | 25

Special events during Einstein Year 2005

Beside the conferences and exhibitions described above,
there will be numerous other attractive events and places
to visit. A broad range of activities have been designed
for people interested in science, for children and young
people and for tourists visiting Berlin all of them are to
be reached and encouraged to think about science and
research.

Guided city walks

Guided tours of Berlin will lead visitors to diverse places
of past and current research and economic activity and
show historic and modern technology and architecture.
Additional city walks accompanying the exhibition
Albert Einstein Engineer of the Universe will offer
insights into Einsteins life in Berlin.

Exhibition ship MS Einstein

The theme ship of the Science in Dialogue (WiD) initiative
will again be on tour and will visit numerous cities along
the German waterways in summer 2005. The exhibition
on board this 105-metre-long inland shipping vessel will
present Einsteins work and personality to the visitors.
The exhibits and interactive simulations will encourage
visitors to join in and take a look at Einsteins complex
theories, and they will present developments in current
science based on these theories.

Pupils academies and competitions

Special programmes and events will be offered for the
researchers of tomorrow. During Einstein Year, national
competitions and summer camps dealing with natural
science and technology subjects will be organised, and
lectures on Albert Einstein will be given within the framework of childrens universities. Furthermore, a web-based
forum will offer educational material for teachers and
pupils.

> Einstein Year invites

people to join in, to think and
The Long Albert Einstein Night
The international literature festival berlin will organise a
Long Albert Einstein Night including readings of Einstein
texts, music and theatre.
You can look forward to a wide and varied selection of
events and activities. More information on Einstein Year
is available on the website www.einsteinjahr.de.

to ask questions. Everyone

can become involved as a
partner and thus share in the
dialogue between science
and the public.
Become a partner in the
programme, a sponsoring
partner or a media partner.
Recommend your colleagues
and members to follow in
the footsteps of a great

All of science is nothing more than the refinement of everyday thinking. Albert Einstein

personality of world history

and to pursue their own
curiosity. Inform us about
your involvement in
Einstein Year 2005 under:
taten@einsteinjahr.de >

26 | 27

The most precious things in life are not those you get for money. Albert Einstein

Use your imagination and join in!

Playing an active role in Einstein Year 2005
Companies, the media, institutions, museums, associations, schools or publishers everyone can become involved as a partner and contribute to Einstein Year 2005,
to making known Einstein, the man and scientist, and his
work.
The commitment and individual contributions of a large
number of partners will make Einstein Year a success.
Participation in Einstein Year can take many forms:
Programme partners contribute their own events. The
events should relate to the life or work of Albert Einstein,
and they should be designed for a broad public and be
generally accessible. Such events may include science

festivals and Open Days, conferences and seminars,

exhibitions and lectures, concerts and readings
and many other activities.
Supporters and sponsors help by promoting the events
and programme highlights of the Einstein Year and/or by
providing financial assistance.
Media partners support editorial work and reporting on
Einstein Year 2005 with their own formats including special supplements, documentation or events.

> 100 years of the Theory of

Relativity and the 50th anniversary of the death of Albert
Einstein remind us of one of
our most important qualities:
the power to think and discover. After all, the future
arises in our minds.
The Federal Ministry of
Education and Research and
the Science in Dialogue (WiD)
initiative wish all the participants in Einstein Year 2005
a year that makes them
curious. >
All partners and their activities will be presented on the
Web portal www.einsteinjahr.de. Our partners may use the
logo of Einstein Year 2005, and we will support them in
their press activities. We are also making available posters
showing themes of Einstein Year as well as brochures and
a rich store of quotations.
Further information about activities, press and services
can be found at www.einsteinjahr.de.

28 | 29

Contacts
Coordination:
Bundesministerium fr Forschung und Bildung
Projektgruppe Einsteinjahr 2005 (PEJ)
Heinemannstr. 2
53175 Bonn
Germany
phone: +49 (0)18 88 57 21 29
fax:
+49 (0)18 88 578 21 29
e-mail: andrea.noske@bmbf.bund.de

Concept and Organization:

Bro Einsteinjahr 2005 Berlin
Carnotstr. 5
10587 Berlin
Germany
phone: +49 (0)30 39 80 59 21
fax:
+49 (0)30 39 80 59 29
e-mail: einsteinjahr@dlr.de
Only those who do not seek are safe from error. Albert Einstein

Press and Media:

Agentur Einsteinjahr 2005
Neue Schnhauser Str. 35
10178 Berlin
Germany
phone: +49 (0)30 590 04 33 54
fax:
+49 (0)30 590 04 33 51
e-mail: presse@einsteinjahr.de

"Science Years and Summer of Science:

Wissenschaft im Dialog gGmbH
Markgrafenstr. 37
10117 Berlin
Germany
phone: +49 (0)30 20 64 92 00
fax:
+49 (0)30 20 64 92 05
e-mail: info@w-i-d.de
www.wissenschaft-im-dialog.de

Publication details
Published by the
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Referat Publikationen; Internet Editorial
11055 Berlin
www.bmbf.de
Concept, text and design:
WE DO communication GmbH, Berlin
Fleishman-Hillard International Communications, Berlin
Stephanie Schmidt, Berlin
Printing and production:
Knigsdruck, Berlin

Illustrations:
Page 7: Einstein (No. 2386257), Picture Alliance/dpa
Page 8: Einstein and family (No. 2620784),
Picture Alliance/akg-Images
Einstein record cover, Cbs/Epic/Wtg Records
Page 11: Einstein Tower (No. 3715248), Picture Alliance/dpa
Page 12: Einstein graffiti www.skize.se
As a child www.einstein-website.de
Page 15: Comic Michael McGuiness
Formula (No. 4280030), Picture Alliance/akg-Images

Page 20: Einstein at the blackboard (No. 67193180),

Picture Alliance/dpa
Summer house in Caputh, Archive of the Arts Foundation,
Konrad Wachsmann Archive, shelfmark: KWA-25-8/F. 1
Page 23: Einstein with Ben-Gurion (No. 2296873),
Picture Alliance/dpa
Page 24: Comic Michael McGuiness
Page 29: Einstein with violin (No. 6152519), Picture Alliance/dpa
Page 31: Comic Michael McGuiness
Photos

Quotations projections
Bundeministerium fr Bildung und Forschung

Photos

Page 4: Street sign Einsteinstrae, Einstein literature

Page 7: Einstein commemorative plaque
Page 18: Alberts neon writing
Page 23: Einstein commemorative plaque
Page 25: Signpost Einstein Forum
Page 26: Einstein commemorative plaque,
Einstein action figure
Page 28: Plate Albert-Einstein-Gymnasium
Page 31: Card index, Einstein rubber mask
WE DO communication

Despite intensive efforts it was not possible to trace

the holders of the rights in further illustrations.
Source of the quotations:
Alice Calaprice (Editor): Einstein sagt. Zitate, Einflle,
Gedanken, Piper Verlag, Munich, 6th edition, July 2004.
2nd edition, January 2005

Think ahead
www.einsteinjahr.de

30 | 31

The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. Albert Einstein

www.einsteinjahr.de