MILEVA MARIĆ: BIOGRAPHY AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY - BIOGRAPHIES - 2025

Mileva Marić (1875-19489 was a Serbian mathematician and philosopher, best known for being Albert Einstein's first wife. Although she was one of the world's first female physicists, exactly what her contribution to science was has yet to be determined.

His role in the development of the first theories developed by Einstein, especially relativity, have generated many discussions in the scientific world. On the one hand, some scholars claim that Marić deserves the same credit as Einstein for the theories, as they were companions. Another sector claims that she only helped her husband with mathematics.

Photograph of Mileva Marić in 1912. Source:, via Wikimedia Commons.

The truth about Mileva's contributions to Einstein's work will probably never be known. Some letters between Einstein and Marić are the only evidence to affirm that there was a working collaboration between the two, but their content is not conclusive.

The two were married for 16 years, which coincided with Albert Einstein's most productive years. Mileva, who was three years older than the German, was also noted for her talent with music, mathematics and physics.

Biography

Mileva was born on December 19, 1875 in Titel, a town in Vojvodina (present-day Serbia) that was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. She was the first daughter of the marriage formed by Milos Marić and Marija Ruzić. Mileva was born with a dislocation on the left side of her hip that has caused her to limp since she learned to walk.

She was affectionately known as Mica (pronounced "Mitza") and lived in different places throughout her life. It was her father who, before entering school, taught her some mathematical concepts for the first time.

Once in high school, Mileva showed interest in learning French, since she was already fluent in German, and asked permission to attend physics classes, in which only men were allowed. In this way, Marić became one of the first young women from the Austro-Hungarian Empire to attend a physics class alongside men, something that was only allowed 13 years later, in 1907.

In order to continue gaining more knowledge in physics and mathematics, at the age of 19 Mileva decided to move to Switzerland, where women could attend universities full time.

Marriage to Einstein

In 1896, Mileva and Albert Einstein met at the Zurich Polytechnic, where they studied physics and mathematics. Mileva was the oldest student (21 years) and Albert the youngest (17 and a half years) in section VI A.

From the beginning they got on very well and shared study groups. They both shared the same passion for science and music. Einstein referred to Mileva as Doxerl, which in the German dialect was an affectionate way of saying doll.

Einstein's mother was opposed to the relationship between the two from the beginning, because Mileva was from the Serbian Orthodox Church and Albert a Jew. In addition, she had a negative view about the woman being older than the man and about Mileva's limp.

Mileva's parents weren't very happy about her relationship with Einstein either. Mileva became pregnant before marrying the young scientist. When her parents found out about the pregnancy, they still did not know a German physicist.

They were also married in 1903 in a civil ceremony in Bern when Einstein finished his studies. They had three children. Lieserl Einstein was born first, before they were married, but her life is unknown. It is said that he died a year after he was born. Later, in 1904 and 1910, Hans Albert Einstein and Eduard Einstein were born.

The first pregnancy did not help Mileva with her studies. She repeatedly failed her final exams and stopped studying.

Divorce

Mileva began to doubt Einstein's fidelity and the two began to live apart in 1914. Eventually the suspicions were confirmed and Einstein began to show up with his cousin Elsa. Marić dedicated himself to his two children and forgot about science.

In 1916, while visiting his children, Einstein filed for divorce from Mileva, who suffered from a nervous breakdown. In February of that same year, the separation was made official. Part of the agreement was that if Einstein received a Nobel Prize, Marić would receive the monetary award.

After the divorce, Mileva continued to see Albert at least once a year until the scientist left for the United States in 1933. They then exchanged some letters during his last years of life.

Letters

Between 1897 and 1905 Mileva and Einstein exchanged a multitude of letters that made it possible to document the romance between them. The letters only became public knowledge in 1987 and before them little was known about Mileva Marić.

The debate about Mileva's contribution to Einstein's work was born by the appearance of these letters, thanks to which some claim that Marić was a regular collaborator and co-author of her husband's works. The letters between the two were published in two books.

In some letters Mileva discusses with her husband about the electrodynamics of bodies in motion, and the interaction of light on the surface of objects; and in another Albert refers to the work of both when speaking of the Theory of Relativity. In many of them, the enthusiasm that Mileva shares with Einstein for scientific advances is remarkable.

Death

In 1947 Mileva Marić's health began to deteriorate, as did her financial situation. That year she had a fall after visiting one of her children that caused her to be hospitalized after being found unconscious.

At 72 years of age, in May 1948 he suffered a stroke that paralyzed the left side of his body. She died three months later, in August, alone in a hospital.

In 1970 Mileva Marić's grave was removed from the Northeim Friedhof cemetery in Zurich. The reason could be the non-payment of the cemetery monthly payments. In 2004, the grave where Mileva Marić was found was again identified.

Contribution to the Theory of Relativity

The Theory of Relativity was exposed by Albert Einstein in 1905. Until today nobody has been able to give Mileva Marić any credit or verify her contributions to this study that talks about the movement of bodies.

In 1969 a biography on Marić was published in which it was claimed that he had a very important role in the success of Einstein. Some experts also studied the letters that Marić and Einstein sent each other and claim that they show that Mileva's ideas are the basis of the science developed by Einstein.

The most controversial debate arises promoted by Abraham Joffe. The Soviet physicist claimed to have seen the original papers (three in total) that Einstein delivered on the Theory of Relativity. According to Joffe, these documents were signed as Einstein-Marity, with Marity being a variation of Marić in Hungarian. But only Einstein appears in the final post.

In the letters, moreover, Einstein writes to Mileva about "our work on relative motion."

Mileva always remained silent, but in 1929 one of her friends, Milana Bota, wrote to a newspaper to ask them to speak with Marić so that they would find out about the birth of the Theory of Relativity, since Marić was involved.

It has also been claimed that Mileva told her mother, godparents, and sister about the contributions she made to Einstein's work. Her son Hans Albert stated that she remembers seeing her parents work together.

Awards and other work

After Einstein's separation, Mileva had a very difficult life. She dedicated herself to taking care of her two children and forgot about physics and mathematics. Marić also took care of a pension for a time and gave private lessons to meet her basic needs.

Mileva's importance in the scientific world has yet to be determined, but her story has not gone completely unnoticed. In 2005 she was honored with a plaque at her former residence in Zurich. One of the schools in Titel, the city where she was born, bears her name.

In addition, there are several busts in honor of Marić. In 2005 a bust was placed in a secondary school in his hometown. Also at Novi Sad University is a bust of Marić and in Ohio, United States, there is another in the Serbian Cultural Garden in Cleveland.

Sixty years after his death, a plaque was placed in the house where the clinic in which he died was located in Zurich.

References

1. Alter, S. (2013). Secret Traces of the Soul of Mileva Maric-Einstein. Pittsburg: Dorrance Publishing Co.
2. Claver, Ó., Mateu, A., & Ligero, S. (2018). Einstein Maric, an unsolved equation. Recovered from metode.org
3. Krstić, D. (2004). Mileva & Albert Einstein: Their Love and Scientific Collaboration. Didakta.
4. Milentijević, R. (2010). Mileva Marić Einstein. New York: United World Press.
5. Popović, M. (2003). In Albert's shadow. Baltimore, Md.: The Johns Hopkins University Press.