Albert Einstein Autographed Letter Auctioned Off For $12,500

A letter written by the famous physicist Albert Einstein recently put up for auction was sold on Thursday. The letter features the typed words of Einstein himself and a hand-written signature. the Inquisitr reported on Einstein’s letter last month, stating that it was expected to get at least $10,000. The highest bidder bumped the price a little higher than that and got Einstein’s autograph for a staggering $12,500.

According to Live Science, Einstein wrote the letter during World War II, in 1939. In it, the scientist expresses his sincere sorrow for the oppression of Jewish people under Nazi rule. Einstein was directly addressing a business man named Isidore Zelniker who played a part in helping Jewish people escape the Nazi regime. In the letter, Einstein congratulates Zelniker for his involvement in rescuing Jews.

“My dear Mr. Zelniker: May I offer my sincere congratulations to you on the splendid work you have undertaken on behalf of the refugees during Dedication Week,” Einstein wrote. “The power of resistance which has enabled the Jewish people to survive for thousands of years has been based to a large extent on traditions of mutual helpfulness.”

This isn’t the only letter that Albert Einstein wrote of this kind. He penned several others thanking those who worked to stop the suffering caused by Hitler and his followers. Many American Jews were working to help Jewish refugees and aid those affected by the Holocaust.

You can read Einstein’s thoughts on the war in full in a scanned image of the letter below.

Einstein’s letter was sold at the Nate D. Sanders, Inc. auction house in Los Angeles. The minimum big was set at $10,000 but climbed significantly higher than that.

Albert Einstein played a larger role in World War II than some people may expect. Live Science claims that Einstein, whose parents were Jewish, helped convince America and Europe to intervene in the war and provide aid to the Jewish people. He also wrote letters of recommendations for European Jews who were trying to enter the United States after being granted visas. According to World Religion News, Einstein avoided Nazi oppression by emigrating to the United States in 1933 with his wife and children. Einstein realized it wouldn’t be safe for him to stay in Germany, due to his Jewish heritage.

You can find more of Albert Einstein’s letter and writings on the topic at Einstein Archives Online. For more on Albert Einstein, check out his final opinion on the existence of God.

What do you think of Albert Einstein’s letter? What would you have paid to own it?