Albert Einstein is best remembered for his equation E=MC², a scientific breakthrough that paved the way for atomic energy. His theory of General Relativity reshaped our concept of space and time, while his work on the photoelectric effect—for which he won the Nobel Prize in Physics—laid the foundation for modern solar power. In 1999, Time magazine editors selected Einstein as their “Person of the Century,” and his name remains synonymous with genius.
Yet for all his famed achievements, there was one constant in his life that is not so well-known. Albert Einstein was an avid—if notoriously unorthodox—sailor.
From his days as a student in Zurich to his years as a German immigrant teaching at Princeton, Albert Einstein loved to sail. Sailing offered him respite and reflection during times of political upheaval, divorce, illness, professional challenge, and even war.
Einstein’s Favorite Amusement
As a prolific letter writer, Einstein often mentioned sailing in his correspondence. He called sailing “mein Lieblingsvergnügen” or “my favorite amusement.”
His favorite sailing partner was his oldest son, Hans Albert Einstein, also called Albert. His youngest son, Eduard, was more delicate and nicknamed “Tete,” which was short for petite. After divorce from his first wife—the Serbian physicist Mileva Marić—Einstein frequently expressed in letters his longing to go sailing with their two boys, Albert and Tete.
For this complex “citizen of the world,” sailing was not just a leisurely diversion; it offered an opportunity to engage in deep conversations with close companions, combining the joys of nature with intellectual discourse. Out on the water and before the wind, Einstein found one of the few places where he could fully detach from the world and immerse himself in the present.
Thoughts Drifting Like the Wind
If the wind died, he sometimes pulled out a notebook to jot down his thoughts. Or he would aimlessly drift. By all accounts, he was a rather absent-minded seaman prone to collision and capsizing, without ever bothering to learn how to swim.
To Albert Einstein, sailing was not a race or some epic voyage. It was the pursuit of a contemplative time and space.
The following excerpts from his personal correspondence highlight his reliance on sailing as a form of serenity during the tumultuous period between the end of World War I and the rise of the Nazi party. Einstein’s dispatches from Germany, Switzerland, and America also reflect his need for refuge from growing international fame.
His complete letters are held by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which Einstein helped found in 1925. They are translated into English by Princeton University Press, and we offer a sample here in adherence to the Press’s guidelines for fair use.
This selection of excerpts spans from WWI to the years preceding his immigration to the United States. Accompanied by vintage photographs from the Princeton archives and the Leo Baeck Institute via the Center for Jewish History, they offer an intimate look at one of history’s greatest thinkers and his enduring passion for wind and waves. — editor
Thoughts on Sailing from the Collected Letters of Albert Einstein
List of Correspondents
FAMILY
- Elsa Einstein – Einstein’s second wife (and first cousin).
- Mileva Marić – His first wife, mother of Hans Albert and Tete.
- Hans Albert Einstein – Oldest son with first wife, Mileva Marić.
- Eduard “Tete” Einstein – Youngest son with first wife, suffered from schizophrenia.
- Maja Winteler-Einstein – Sister, one of Einstein’s closest confidantes.
- Pauline Einstein – His mother, passed away in 1920.
FRIENDS & COLLEAGUES
- Heinrich Zangger – Swiss toxicologist, friend, and sailing companion.
- Michele Besso – Longtime friend, engineer, and sailing companion.
- Paul Ehrenfest – Physicist and close friend.
- Oskar Heimann – Businessman who sold Einstein a sailboat
- Richard Katzenstein – Friend and fellow sailor.
- Anschütz & Richter – Sailing partners in Kiel.
To Elsa Einstein [Zurich], 8 April 1916
Today I received a letter from Mileva in which she denies having declared herself ready to file a divorce suit. At the same time she requested discussing this in person. I rejected this and encouraged her by letter to file the claim. Today I went on a sailing trip with Besso. Life here is very unsettling for me, because I know so many who make a personal claim on my time. Today I had an interesting scientific idea. That means work again in Berlin.
To Elsa Einstein [Zurich], 24 July 1917
I did not pay any visits in Zurich, but yesterday I went sailing with Albert for 1½ hours. He can already do the crabbing technique. If only you could be here as well; it’s so lovely in Switzerland. The food-supply calamity is threatening here also though. I am leaving the handling of the taxes to my bank. I’m not filing a reimbursement claim because I also received unexpected payments subsequently. My children are both attached to me now with genuine fondness. But your and the little minxes’ places of honor in my black soul are not jeopardized because of it! I miss you all terribly much.
To Mileva Einstein-Maric [Berlin], 23 May 1918
Dear Mileva,
Securities for 40,000 M is being transferred to the Swiss Bank Association, Zurich, for you one of these days. I request, now, that you send the contract and file the divorce
I’m probably going to have to do without the trip to Switzerland this summer, considering that under these nasty traveling conditions the strain would be too great for me. But I plan to go to a remote village by the Baltic Sea for two months and would be pleased if Albert, or even Albert and Tete, could come. We would do a great deal of sailing there. I could certainly procure the travel permit. What do you think of this?
Kind regards, yours,
Albert
Kisses to the boys! We would just be sailing in a sheltered bay, not on the open sea.
To Mileva Einstein-Maric [Berlin], 4 June 1918
This summer I’m not going to come to Switzerland. I dread the strain and stress of the trip. I’m going instead to a little village by the Baltic Sea for two months. I cordially invite Albert to come along. (Tete is maybe still too delicate.) I could certainly get the traveling permission through, and for him the strain would be quite trivial. We would do a great deal of sailing there, but not on our own, because it is forbidden, unfortunately. Besides that, he could go swimming regularly in the sea.
To Paul Ehrenfest [Berlin], 5 June 1918
I am doing reasonably well; but I’m still unable to get along without constant care, since my stomach revolts at the slightest cause. Why should it have less rights than my brain? From 22 June on I’m going away for two months to the Baltic Sea… I’m looking forward to sailing, my favorite amusement. You also should exchange wisdom for some harmless vegetating in nature for a while!
To Elsa Einstein [Zurich], 14 July 1919
Living with Albert is very fine. We are building a small flying machine together. This morning we went sailing in a stiff wind. Living here is entirely harmless. Tomorrow I’m going to be traveling to Lucerne again.
To Pauline Einstein [Berlin], 5 September 1919
Dear Mother,
From your reports I see, sadly, that you are still being tormented quite a bit. Life is no trifle. We, however, are doing well presently. Just the troubles arising out of the general economic situation are making themselves felt. We have to relinquish a room (rent it out). Starting tomorrow, the elevator won’t be operating anymore, so each exit will involve a climbing expedition, and in addition to that, much shivering lies ahead of us this winter. But at least, if you pay a pretty penny, you can get something to eat. The finest thing in my life right now is that I go sailing quite often with Prof. Katzenstein. It has happened twice already, and we intend to go again on Monday.