Cults of historians, scientists, and everyday people persist in idolizing Albert Einstein. For his family, though, the name Einstein has cast a long, complicated, and difficult shadow. Today the two living grandchildren and five living great-grandchildren are weary of being hounded by Einstein worshippers and weary of trying to live up to the unprecedented achievements of their ancestor. They struggle to live private lives, well distanced from his fame, and they have succeeded: The most notable aspect of the Einstein descendants is how nearly invisible they are.
Even in anonymity, though, there is no escaping the family legacy. Albert Einstein, a man of remarkable insights, was also a man of many serious flaws. His quixotic behavior and strained personal relationships loom menacingly over his descendants. Today the Einsteins are a fractured family.
I recently spoke with Aude Einstein, Albert’s granddaughter-in-law and the mother of all five of his great-grandchildren. I had spoken to other family members previously while researching a book about Albert’s missing daughter, Lieserl, and I believed Aude was the only new source now available to me. I was petrified about calling her, and I rehearsed how I could broach the subject of her renowned ancestor without her hanging up on me. My anxiety was unfounded. As soon as I heard her welcoming voice, I thought it would be all right.
