The Tragic Fate of Albert Einstein’s Youngest Son

The world knows Albert Einstein as the brilliant scientist who developed the theory of relativity - a genius among geniuses. Yet, many are not aware of the tragic life of his son who was institutionalized for schizophrenia and died after spending almost three decades at a psychiatric clinic in Zurich.

Albert Einstein met his first wife, Milea Maric while attending the Zurich Polytechnic Institute where she was the lone female studying physics. Despite the fact that she was four years older than him did not stop Einstein from proposing marriage to Milea Maric. They married in 1903 and were parents to three children. Liserl, Hans Albert and Eduard who was born in 1910.

The couple later separated in 1914.

Not much is known about Liserl and some reports say she was given for adoption soon after her birth but according to Hans Albert, their father continued to correspond with his children even after the separation and his fame.

According to allthat'sinteresting.com, Eduard, who went by the pet name "Tete," was a sickly child leading his father to say this about him in a 1917 letter to a colleague: “My little boy’s condition depresses me greatly. It is impossible that he would become a fully developed person.” Einstein was of the opinion that his son's condition was passed down from the mother's side of the family.

Despite having health problems, Eduard Einstein developed an interest in the piano as well as psychiatry and later followed in his father's footsteps by enrolling in Zurich University. But unlike his father, he chose psychiatry as his subject of study in part due to his fascination with Sigmund Freud.

The article mentions a quote by Eduard with regards to having such a famous father: “It’s at times difficult to have such an important father because one feels so unimportant.”

Following a failed relationship with an older woman, Eduard's mental health declined and he first attempted suicide in 1930. Later, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was institutionalized. There, the electroconvulsive therapy that was administered to him did irrevocable damage to his memory and cognitive abilities.

It is to be noted that studies into the use of electroconvulsive therapy in the treatment of schizophrenia were only in their nascent stages and still had a long way to go. It was only in 1938 that Cerletti and Lucio Bini were able to develop the first ECT device that was used to treat a patient diagnosed with schizophrenia.

In the 1930s, Albert Einstein who married his relative Elsa Einstein Lowenthal emigrated to the United States in order to escape the Nazi threat. Even though he was already a world famous scientist, as a Jew his life was in danger due to the antisemitic laws and he was forced to leave his youngest son behind on account of his declining mental health.

In 1933 would be the last time father and son would meet before the former set sail for the United States.

Although Eduard was unable to follow his father abroad due to his illness, Albert Einstein continued to correspond with his son regularly and to support his son by making sure he was well taken care of at the psychiatric clinic.

According to an article, Mileva Maric continued to take care of her son and often struggled to pay for his care despite receiving financial help from Albert Einstein. She continued to care for her son until her death in 1948. He was then moved in as a permanent resident at the psychiatric clinic in Burghölzli, Zurich.

Eduard died from a stroke in 1965, at the age of 55. He was buried at the Honggeberg cemetery in Zurich.