PLACES
Heritage and cosmos
MEENA MENON
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Bern hosts a brilliant special exhibition on a man who changed the world in a way few have.
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IMAGINATIVE: The exhibition brings to life the genius of Einstein.
AS you exit Bern railway station, you take a trip back into history — cobbled streets, old water fountains, medieval stone arcades and churches with only the bright red trams and cars to bring you back to reality. The Zentrum Paul Klee is one of the few concessions to modernity in this UNESCO world heritage city.
Walk around the city
The Swiss are proud of their capital city and the "Lauben", as the arcades in the old town are called, extend for over six km. They are said to be as old as the city, which was founded in 1191. Barenplatz, where bears were once displayed, is now a colourful market place. Now the bear pits are near the Altes Tramdepot that overlooks the Aare, a tributary of the Rhone, which encircles Bern. From Barenplatz you can walk down to the House of Parliament, with its large square where ethereal water fountains spurt up and down.
Nearby is the towering Gothic Cathedral, which was begun in 1421. You can spend hours gazing at the gilded and finely detailed depiction of the Last Judgement at the entrance. The Clock Tower or Zytglogge dates back to the 12th century. It has a set of medieval mechanical figures, which move before the hour is struck. The large clock not only shows the local time but also that of the rest of Europe. It has a calendar and shows the phases of the moon.
Walk down from the famous clock to Einstein House where the great man lived for a while on Kramgasse. Up the narrow staircase, past the pasta house on the ground floor and you enter the small simple house, now a museum. In 1905, Einstein started to develop his theory of relativity in this house. The annus mirabilis of Einstein's years was in this city where he created his famous E=mc2 formula on the relation between energy and mass.
It is only fitting that the centenary of the Relativity Theory, which was celebrated last year, should be commemorated at the Bern Historical Museum. Now split into two sections on his life and work, it will be combined to form a permanent exhibit. The present exhibition has been extended to October 15.
As you go up the mirrored stairs, images of Einstein's face come up around you. The exhibition starts from his birth on April 14, 1819 in Ulm, his first picture of his family and a model of his home — no longer in existence. A large tablecloth retrieved from the home of Einstein's parents says, "Hard work brings its own reward," indicative of the family ethos.
The section on his life, the main portion is devoted to "the wonder years" in Bern from 1902-1909. It should come as no surprise that he did not like to go to school. Finally he settled down in Switzerland and finished at a cantonal school. He went on to the Zurich Polytechnic, one of the best technical schools in Europe, but he was not a good student.
The Love Room is dedicated to the relationship between Einstein and his wife Mileva Maric. Letters, photographs, and documents bring to life one of the greatest geniuses of all time. He was ineligible for service because he listed flat feet and perspiration as disabilities. Separated from Mileva, he went to Berlin and dictated a set of extremely cruel conditions to his wife, if she were to continue living with him. He remarried later. Einstein left Europe in 1933 and went to the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton.
Films of his life
Two short films depict his life on 112, Mercer Street where he lived. On display are a sofa from the Mercer Street house and the famous letter to F.D. Roosevelt on August 2, 1939 where he expressed alarm at the latest development in nuclear fission.
However, fame was always been disagreeable to him, as is evident in this letter to the editor in Reporter Magazine, May 13, 1954. He wrote, "If I would be a young man again and had to decide how to make my living I wouldn't try to become a scientist or a scholar or teacher. I would rather choose to be a plumber or a peddler in the hope to find that modest degree of independence..."
A whole section on his life's work is imaginatively done to interest even the most cursory visitor. For instance you find yourself in a black hole and see what it does to you, or try and race through Bern by bicycle at the speed of light. Animated short films explain his theories step by step and you can journey through the cosmos to realise that much of modern cosmology is based on Einstein's findings. This time round it is not only the charm of Bern that steals the show but also this brilliant special exhibition on a man who changed the world in a way few have.
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