Origins of the IRC
This year marks 120 years since Albert Einstein’s 'miracle year' in 1905, when he published many of his groundbreaking discoveries that revolutionised modern physics, including his famous equation, E=mc2.
But putting the theory of special relativity aside for the moment, here are some other interesting facts about the German-born scientific genius that may surprise you.
1. Einstein was a refugee
Einstein was already a famous physicist by the time Adolf Hitler rose to power in 1933. As a German Jew, however, his civil liberties were suspended and he was barred from resuming his professorship at the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin. Forced from his home, Einstein sought refuge in the United States and settled in Princeton, NJ.
What does it mean to be a refugee?
2. He used his influence and money to help other refugees
Since there were no programs or aid agencies to ensure the safety of fellow refugees, Einstein took matters into his own hands. He and his wife made visa applications for other German Jews and personally vouched for refugees fleeing Nazi rule.
“I am privileged by fate to live here in Princeton,” he wrote in a letter. “In this small university town, the chaotic voices of human strife barely penetrate. I am almost ashamed to be living in such peace while all the rest struggle and suffer.”
"By any and all means": Albert Einstein wanted help refugees fleeing Nazi germany, leading to the creation of the IRC
Photo: Library of Congress
3. He helped found the IRC in 1933
In July 1933, upon Einstein’s request, a committee of 51 American artists, intellectuals and political leaders came together to form the International Relief Association (a precursor to the IRC). Among them were the philosopher John Dewey, the writer John Dos Passos, and the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. Other prominent citizens, even including First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, soon joined the effort.
The committee established offices at 11 West 42 Street in New York City, across from Bryant Park and not far from the IRC's current headquarters. Its mission, as The New York Times reported on July 24, 1933, was to "assist Germans suffering from the policies of the Hitler regime."
Read more about the history of the International Rescue Committee
The IRC continues to this day as a refugee and humanitarian aid organisation. Maryam is an urban planner from Afghanistan who is now living in the UK, where she has used employment support services offered by IRC.
Photo: Clara Collyns for the IRC
4. He was outspoken against racism
Albert Einstein was a vocal advocate against racism, particularly in the context of the United States civil rights movement. His activism was also shaped by his own experiences with anti-Semitism and his deep belief in equality and justice. He has said that racism was America’s “worst disease”.
5. He was a late bloomer
As a child, Einstein's teachers thought he might be slow because he started speaking later than most kids—around age three.
6. He was working as a patents clerk while making his famous discoveries
Before becoming famous, he worked as a clerk at the Swiss Patent Office. This job required him to examine patent applications for new inventions, checking their originality and ensuring the clarity of patents to protect inventors' ideas.
It was during this time that he developed and published many of his own groundbreaking theories. He called the patent office "that worldly cloister where I hatched my most beautiful ideas”.
Albert Einstein worked at the Swiss Federal Office for Intellectual Property in Bern from 1902 to 1909. At the same time, he was also writing and publishing his groundbreaking scientific papers.
7. He hid from danger in a beach hut in England
While still in Germany, Einstein had his savings confiscated and his apartment ransacked. Then in 1933, the Nazis put out a reward for his murder, and he and his wife, Elsa, fled Germany, fearing for their lives.
They crossed to England by sea, where a Conservative MP, Oliver Locker-Lampson, offered them a house to stay. However, with a bounty on their heads, the house was thought too dangerous for them, so the couple hid in a secret log cabin on a remote Norfolk beach, with armed guards to protect them. They spent three weeks in the log cabin before moving to the United States where they sought asylum and remained for the rest of his life.
What is the IRC?
The International Rescue Committee helps people affected by humanitarian crises to survive, recover and rebuild their lives. For over 90 years, we’ve provided humanitarian aid and long-term support to people affected by conflict, disaster and displacement. Today, we work in 40+ countries to deliver lifesaving emergency relief and help families rebuild.
