Important DS signed "Albert Einstein," one page both sides, 8.25 x 13.75, March 6, 1940. Albert Einstein petitions U.S. immigration authorities to allow his distant cousin, Ursula Einstein, to travel to the United States from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where she had fled from Nazi Germany. Einstein, "residing at 112 Mercer Str., Princeton, New Jersey," having declared his "intention of becoming a citizen of the United States on January 15, 1936," certifies Ursula's intent to immigrate due to "unfavorable political conditions in country of birth." He pledges his assets for her support, explaining: "My regular occupation is Professor of Physics, Member of Faculty of the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton N.J. My average annual earnings amount to $15,000." He goes on to list his other assets, including $16,506.96 in a bank account, real estate valued at approximately $25,000, and stocks and bonds worth $22,000. Signed at the conclusion in ink by Albert Einstein, and countersigned below by a notary public, with a red notary seal at lower left.
Rules for American visa applications are printed on the reverse, explaining that "the American relatives or friends assume complete responsibility for the support of the prospective immigrants and are required to corroborate their statements with proof of their financial responsibility." In very good to fine condition, with short edge tears, small areas of paper loss, and Einstein's signature a couple shades light.
Albert Einstein was himself a Jewish refugee who fled Nazi Germany in 1933 after his works were publicly burned and he was targeted by the regime. Settling in the United States at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, Einstein became a vocal advocate against fascism and a tireless supporter of fellow refugees.
Ursula Einstein was the daughter of Elsa's cousin Robert Einstein (Ursula Einstein's grandfather Josef Einstein, was the brother of Elsa's father, Rudolf Einstein). She had evidently escaped Nazi Germany to seek refuge in Haiti—likely with the aid of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)—and became one of many German Jews to benefit from Albert Einstein's name and influence. Einstein is credited with saving hundreds of lives as an ardent advocate for Jews seeking to escape Hitler's reach and find asylum elsewhere—he even joked that he ran an 'immigration office.' He frequently made visa applications for other German Jews, personally vouched for refugees fleeing Nazi rule, solicited philanthropic support from fellow celebrities, and aided in securing employment for refugees around the world. This significant document exemplifies Albert Einstein’s deep commitment to both family and humanitarian causes during a time of international crisis.
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