A piece of history is about to go under the hammer: Albert Einstein’s very first violin, the one he was forced to hide from the Nazis, is expected to sell for a staggering £300,000.
The famed physicist acquired the instrument in the mid-1890s, just before leaving Munich to continue his studies in Switzerland.
A Lifelong Companion Named Lina
Einstein was not only a genius of physics but also a passionate musician.
He played this very violin, which he later engraved with the name “Lina,” from his late teens well into adulthood.
The instrument accompanied him as he developed the groundbreaking theory of relativity, and now it’s coming to the market with an estimated price range of £200,000 to £300,000.
Also included in the upcoming auction is the leather saddle from Einstein’s bicycle, which could fetch up to £50,000, along with a signed philosophy book featuring the works of Descartes and Spinoza, expected to make around £3,000.
The Journey of Einstein’s Belongings
These treasured relics have stayed in the Einstein family for seven decades.
They were originally gifted in late 1932 to Einstein’s friend and fellow physicist, Max von Laue, just before Einstein fled Germany for America to escape Nazi persecution.
Von Laue later passed the items on to Margarete Hommrich, an Einstein admirer from Braunschweig.
The violin itself is remarkably well-preserved, with all original parts intact except for the strings, tail loop, and fine-tuning screw.
The Zunterer label inside the instrument, dated from Munich, confirms its authenticity.
Einstein’s Musical Life
Einstein began playing the violin at just five years old and practiced almost daily throughout his life.
He even gave public performances, though, sadly, no recordings exist. He once said that had he not become a physicist, he would have pursued a career in music instead.
His love for cycling also mirrored his approach to life.
To his son Eduard, he famously said, “Life is like riding a bicycle, to keep your balance, you must keep moving.”
Auctioneer Shares Excitement
Chris Albury, senior auctioneer at Dominic Winter in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, expressed his excitement about handling these historic items.
“We are thrilled to be handling these extraordinary artefacts,” he said. “Einstein’s violin is particularly precious.
When it arrived, the sound post and bridge were detached, and it hadn’t been played for a very long time.
Seeing the name ‘Lina’ etched onto the back panel was spine-tingling.”
Though von Laue eventually disposed of Einstein’s bicycle after it seized up, he kept the leather saddle, which remains comfortable and comes with the original order form signed by Einstein himself.
A Glimpse Into History
The Zunterer “Lina” violin is believed to be the instrument Einstein played during his most formative years as a scientist, including when he published his seminal papers on relativity in 1905 and 1915.
Auctioneers note that it’s incredible to imagine him playing Mozart and Bach while simultaneously formulating ideas that would forever change science.
“We expect private collectors and institutions from around the world to be interested,” Albury added.
“We’ll only know the outcome on the day of the auction.”
Another Einstein-owned violin, acquired after he arrived in America in 1933, previously sold for £370,000 ($516,500) at a New York auction in 2018.
Auction Date and Details
The auction of Einstein’s historic violin, bicycle saddle, and signed philosophy book is scheduled for October 8, promising a rare opportunity to own tangible pieces of the life of one of history’s greatest minds.