Ulm: a hidden gem in the south of Germany
Although Ulm was Einstein's home for only 15 months, after which his family moved to Munich, it obviously left a good impression on him.
“The place of birth will always be a part of your life, we owe a part of our being to it," said physicist Albert Einstein, adding: "That is why I am grateful for the memories that bind me to Ulm, which combines refined artistic tradition and simple, healthy spirit."
Einstein was born on March 14, 1879, in a German city on the Danube. And although Ulm was his home for only 15 months, after which his family moved to Munich, it obviously left a good impression on him.
How interesting and appropriate, because an old saying from the Middle Ages says: "The inhabitants of Ulm are (born) mathematicians." One of them was Johann Faulhaber - a mathematician who (allegedly!) Influenced the more famous Rene Descartes.
There is no need to talk too much about how much it meant for Ulm later that the world-famous genius was born right here. It is enough to walk along Einsteinstrasse, which Einstein learned about in his life, and commented: "The only consolation I have is that at least I will not be responsible for what is happening, or what will happen in it."
However, on the eve of his 70th birthday, Einstein kindly refused the title of honorary citizen. He could not accept such an award aware of everything that was happening to his country, city, and fellow citizens during the Second World War, neither as a Jew nor as a man. The city authorities paid tribute to him in other ways, and he stated that he appreciates their humane gestures in those tragic and confusing times.
You will not have the opportunity to see his birth house because it was demolished during the Second World War, but there are other contents: schools that bear his name, exhibitions, and monuments dedicated to him.
While walking through the city, you will also notice an unusual fountain. At first glance, perhaps bizarre, the fountain is made in the shape of a rocket with a snail's house on top, from which Einstein's head with a recognizable Albert's grimace protrudes.
It seems like a strange mixture of random things, but it is actually a satirical review of today's world, i.e. of man's need to control it. At least that's how the artist Jurgen Goertz imagined it when he made it in 1984. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder and - everything is relative…
