1929
In 1929, Research Corporation had an interesting interaction with Albert Einstein. Einstein, then-director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin and professor of theoretical physics at the University of Berlin, had received a letter from Sergius Hessen.
Sergius Hessen, philosopher and educator, was born in Northern Russia in 1887. He studied at German universities and returned to Russia as a lecturer at St. Petersburg and Tomsk Universities. In 1922 Hessen left Russia to live in Czechoslovakia, where he wrote “The Basics of Pedagogy: An Introduction to Practical Philosophy.” In his book, Hessen noted that education can be defined through culture, asserting “There is a precise equivalence of education and culture. Education is nothing but a culture of an individual.”
In a letter dated 14 April 1929, Hessen wrote to Einstein:
“….In 1922 after the cessation of autonomy among universities and of academic freedom, I was compelled to leave Russia as an Idealist and more particularly as a Socialist. At present, I am professor at the so-called Russian University at Prague, member of the Russian Scientific Institute of Berlin, Professor of the Franco-Russian Institute for Social Sciences at Paris and shortly ago I was made corresponding member of the School of Slavonic Studies of King’s College, London University. At present I edit a periodical, ‘Russian Schools in Foreign Lands,’ which is the only free – that is the only democratic but not communistic – paper that is printed in the Russian language.”
Hessen continued his letter noting:
“All of these distinctions and appointments bring very little financial aid to me; I am compelled to lead a very hard existence….” and suggesting that he would be better able to support himself if he could translate his work into German.
Hessen asked Einstein to help him find support for this project and Einstein contacted Research Corporation for assistance. In his first letter, Einstein wrote, “There are emigrated Russian men of learning of outstanding merit and distinction who are prevented from recording their results of their scientific work because of their pressing need of the means merely to keep alive. Among such I shall name Professor Sergei Hessen now of Prague.”
The matter was brought before the Research Corporation Board of Directors, who voted to loan Hessen 2,000 marks to be repaid at his convenience. Einstein was informed of the loan and, ironically, wrote to Research Corporation that the amount “appears to be too high for European standards,” adding that 50 or 60 percent of the sum would have been enough, adding, “In this matter it would be possible to further advance the interest of science in that the remainder could be made available to other valuable work.”
At the time, Einstein was 50 years old and had recently begun pursuing his concept of unified theory. Still, he took time to come to the aid of Hessen and other scientists and intellectuals whose work and lives were subject to prejudice and persecution.