Albert Einstein Wife
Albert Einstein’s wife was Mileva Marić, a Serbian mathematician born on December 19, 1875, in Titel, Vojvodina — his first wife. After their divorce, he married again in 1919 to Elsa Einstein, his cousin, born January 18, 1876, in Hechingen, Germany. Albert Einstein, the physicist famous for the theory of relativity, was married twice in his lifetime. This article covers both women who shared his life, from their backgrounds and careers to how they met Einstein, their marriages, and their family lives. If you’ve searched “Albert Einstein wife,” here is everything you need to know about both Mileva Marić and Elsa Einstein.
Who Were Mileva Marić and Elsa Einstein?
Mileva Marić was born on December 19, 1875, in Titel, a town in what is now Serbia (then part of Austria-Hungary). She grew up in a well-off family that valued education, which was unusual for girls at the time. Marić showed early talent in mathematics and physics, eventually enrolling at the Swiss Federal Polytechnic (ETH Zurich), where she was one of the few women studying physics in Europe. It was there that she met a young Albert Einstein as a fellow student.
Elsa Einstein, born Elsa Löwenthal on January 18, 1876, in Hechingen, Germany, was Albert’s first cousin on his mother’s side and second cousin on his father’s side. She grew up in a German-Jewish family and had a more traditional upbringing focused on family life rather than academics. Elsa was previously married to businessman Max Löwenthal, with whom she had two daughters, before her path crossed again with Albert Einstein, whom she had known since childhood.
Career & Professional Life
Mileva Marić studied physics and mathematics at ETH Zurich, one of very few women admitted to the program in the late 1800s. While she never completed her diploma or built an independent scientific career, historians have long debated how much she may have contributed to Einstein’s early thinking during their student years and marriage, since the two frequently discussed physics together. After her divorce, Marić lived a quiet life in Zurich, focusing on raising her sons, one of whom had significant health needs.
Elsa Einstein did not pursue a professional career. Instead, she managed the household and took care of practical matters that let Albert focus entirely on his scientific work, especially after his fame grew following the 1919 confirmation of general relativity. She also played a key role in managing his public life, correspondence, and travel, particularly after the family emigrated to the United States in 1933 to escape Nazi Germany. Neither woman left a public “net worth,” as both lived well before that concept applied to spouses of public figures, though Einstein’s later fame provided the family financial stability.
How Did Albert Einstein Meet Mileva Marić and Elsa Einstein?
Albert Einstein met Mileva Marić in 1896 at the Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zurich, where both were studying physics. They bonded over shared academic interests and spent hours discussing scientific ideas. Their relationship grew serious over several years, despite objections from Einstein’s family, who disapproved of Marić. The couple had a daughter, Lieserl, in January 1902, before they were married — her fate remains unknown to historians, as she disappears from all records after infancy. Albert and Mileva married on January 6, 1903, in Bern, Switzerland.
Einstein and Elsa had known each other since childhood as cousins, and they reconnected around 1912 after Einstein moved to Berlin, where Elsa was living following her own divorce. Their relationship developed into a romance while Einstein was still married to Mileva. Einstein and Marić eventually agreed to divorce in 1919, and Einstein married Elsa the same year, on June 2, 1919, in Berlin.
Marriage & Wedding Details
Albert Einstein and Mileva Marić married in a simple civil ceremony on January 6, 1903, in Bern, Switzerland, with only two witnesses present — no large celebration marked the occasion. The marriage lasted until their divorce in 1919, after years of growing distance and separation.
Albert Einstein and Elsa Einstein married on June 2, 1919, shortly after his divorce from Mileva was finalized. The wedding took place in Berlin, Germany, and was a modest affair reflecting their mature ages and quiet personal style. Elsa remained married to Einstein until her death in 1936.
Children & Family Life
Albert Einstein and Mileva Marić had three children together: a daughter, Lieserl, born in 1902 before their marriage, whose life story remains a mystery; and two sons, Hans Albert Einstein, born in 1904, who became a respected engineer, and Eduard Einstein, born in 1910, who struggled with mental illness for much of his life. After the divorce, the boys mostly lived with Mileva in Switzerland.
Albert Einstein and Elsa Einstein did not have children together, but Elsa brought her two daughters from her first marriage, Ilse and Margot, into the household. The blended family lived together in Berlin and later in Princeton, New Jersey, after fleeing Germany in 1933, maintaining a relatively private home life despite Einstein’s growing global fame.
Mileva Marić and Elsa Einstein: Legacy Today
Neither Mileva Marić nor Elsa Einstein had a social media presence, since both lived and died long before the internet existed — Marić passed away in 1948, and Elsa in 1936. However, both women remain widely discussed today in biographies, documentaries, and academic articles exploring Einstein’s personal life and the women who supported him. Mileva Marić, in particular, has drawn renewed interest from historians examining women’s overlooked roles in early 20th-century science.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Mileva Marić | Elsa Einstein |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Mileva Marić | Elsa Einstein (née Löwenthal) |
| Date of Birth | December 19, 1875 | January 18, 1876 |
| Nationality | Serbian | German |
| Profession | Physics/mathematics student | Homemaker |
| Married to | Albert Einstein | Albert Einstein |
| Marriage Year | 1903 (divorced 1919) | 1919 (until her death in 1936) |
| Children | Lieserl, Hans Albert, Eduard | None (two stepdaughters: Ilse, Margot) |
| Net Worth | Not publicly documented | Not publicly documented |
FAQ Section
Q: What is Albert Einstein’s wife’s name? A: Albert Einstein had two wives during his lifetime: Mileva Marić, whom he married in 1903, and Elsa Einstein, whom he married in 1919 after divorcing Marić.
Q: How old was Mileva Marić and Elsa Einstein? A: Mileva Marić was born in 1875 and died in 1948 at age 72. Elsa Einstein was born in 1876 and died in 1936 at age 60.
Q: What did Albert Einstein’s wives do for a living? A: Mileva Marić studied physics and mathematics at ETH Zurich but did not pursue a formal career. Elsa Einstein managed the household and supported Albert’s public and personal life.
Q: When did Albert Einstein get married? A: Einstein married Mileva Marić on January 6, 1903, and later married Elsa Einstein on June 2, 1919, after divorcing Marić.
Q: How many kids did Albert Einstein have? A: Einstein had three children with Mileva Marić — Lieserl, Hans Albert, and Eduard — and no biological children with Elsa Einstein, though she had two daughters from a previous marriage.
Conclusion
Albert Einstein’s wife was, at different points in his life, Mileva Marić and later Elsa Einstein — two very different women who each played a significant role in his personal story. Mileva shared his early academic years and gave him three children, while Elsa supported him through his most famous decades and his move to America. Together, their stories add a human dimension to the life of one of history’s greatest scientific minds.
