Einstein Built His Own Caputh Summer House After Berlin’s Gift Plan Fell Through
Albert Einstein built a summer house in Caputh, Germany, in 1929 after a planned birthday gift from the city of Berlin failed due to political controversy and property disputes. The house served as a private retreat for the physicist until he was forced to leave Germany.
Why it matters
This historical account provides insight into the personal life of a major scientific figure and the political climate of pre-WWII Germany.
Albert Einstein turned 50 on 14 March 1929, and Berlin planned to mark the occasion by providing him with a country house. The proposed gift fell through after difficulties over the properties offered and became the subject of public controversy. Einstein subsequently secured a site in Caputh, near Potsdam, and financed the construction of a timber summer house designed by architect Konrad Wachsmann. The retreat became a place where he could read, think, sail and welcome friends away from the demands of public life. Einstein spent much of the year there between 1929 and 1932, and a guestbook associated with the house offers a glimpse of some of its visitors.
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