Maurice Solovine (21 May 1875 – 13 February 1958) was a

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...

and

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

. He is best known for his association with

Albert Einstein Albert Einstein ( ; ; 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for developing the theor ...

Biography

Solovine was born in

Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the second largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical region of Moldavia, it has traditionally ...

, a university city in eastern

, near the border with

Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised state of Transnistri ...

. As a young student of philosophy in

Bern german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , website ...

, Solovine applied to study

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which ...

with

in response to an advertisement. The two men struck up a close relationship and Einstein was said to say to Solovine a few days after meeting him: "It is not necessary to give you lessons in physics. The discussion about the problems which we face in physics today is much more interesting; simply come to me when you wish. I am pleased to be able to talk to you." One day Solovine suggested reading and debating the works of great authors. Einstein agreed enthusiastically and soon mathematician

Conrad Habicht Conrad Habicht (December 28, 1876 in Schaffhausen – October 23, 1958 in Schaffhausen) was a Swiss mathematician and close personal friend of Albert Einstein. Association With Einstein Together with Maurice Solovine, the three founded the ...

(1876–1958) became involved in what was to be known as the "Akademie Olympia" ( Olympia Academy). Often their meetings, held in Einstein's flat, would last until the early morning hours. On one occasion Solovine missed a scheduled meeting in his flat, preferring to listen to a concert in the city. He had prepared a meal for his friends with a note: "Amicis carissimis ova dura et salutem." (To the beloved friends, hard-boiled eggs and greetings). However Einstein and Habicht turned his flat upside down after they had eaten the meal. Every piece of furniture was moved and plates, cups, forks, knives and books were scattered all over the flat. The rooms were also covered in smoke from Einstein's pipe and Habicht's cigar. They left a "worthy warning" on the wall. There you could read: "Amico carissimo fumum spissum et salutem." (To the dearest friend, thick smoke and greetings). Einstein is reputed to have greeted Solovine the next evening with the following words: "You lousy guy, how, you were cheeky enough to stay away from a meeting of the Akademie to listen to the violin? Barbarian, idiot, stupid one, if you ever let us down this way again you’ll be expelled from the Akademie with shame." This meeting lasted until the morning to make up for lost time. Solovine remained in contact with Einstein into the 1950s. He died in Paris.

References

* Maurice Solovine (ed.) Albert Einstein - Lettres à Maurice Solovine, Paris: Gauthier-Villars, 1956.
Akademie Olympia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Solovine, Maurice 1875 births 1958 deaths Romanian philosophers Romanian mathematicians Scientists from Iași