Albert Einstein

E = mc² (1905) Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world. (1929) Born in Ulm Germany on March 14, 1879, Albert Einstein became a resident of Princeton in 1933, residing on Mercer Street until his death in 1955. Before becoming a Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, Einstein had already become famous for his Special Theory of Relativity in 1905 and General Theory of Relativity in 1915-1916, both of which explained fundamental laws of the universe. His name became synonymous with genius. A Nobel Laureate in physics, a philosopher, a humanitarian, an educator, and an immigrant, Albert Einstein left an indelible mark on the world and expressed tremendous appreciation for Princeton. “I am privileged by fate to live here in Princeton,” Einstein wrote. “I feel doubly thankful that there has fallen on my lot a place for work and a scientific atmosphere which could not be better or more harmonious.” ( Base of Monument : ) Physicist • Humanitarian • Educator • Immigrant ( Left Side Inscription : ) The ideals which have lighted my way and time after time have given me the energy to face life have been Kindness, Beauty and Truth (1930) ( Rear Inscription : ) America today is the hope of all honorable men who respect the rights of their fellow men and who believe in the principles of freedom and justice. (1941) ( Right Side Inscription : ) It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. (1931) ( Artist Marker : ) Robert Berks Sculptor Robert Berks has devoted more than half a century to creating enduring images in bronze of people who have shaped our age. His work includes more than three hundred sculpted heads and fourteen monuments. Albert Einstein sat for his portrait by Robert Berks on the weekend of April 18, 1953. Of the sculpture, Einstein wrote, in part, “I admire the bust highly as a portrait and not less as a characterization of mental personality.” Subsequently, that experience was the inspiration for two monuments: Berks’s Einstein Centennial Monument for the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., and the Einstein Millennial Monument for the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, from which this head has been cast. Gift of the Robert Berks Foundation to commemorate Einstein’s years in Princeton. Dedicated April 18, 2005