In 1931, the Institute for Intellectual Cooperation invited the renowned physicist to a cross-disciplinary exchange of ideas about politics and peace with a thinker of his choosing. He selected Sigmund Freud, born on May 6, 1856, whom he had met briefly in 1927 and whose work, despite being skeptical of psychoanalysis, the legendary physicist had come to admire. A series of letters followed, discussing the abstract generalities of human nature and the potential concrete steps for reducing violence in the world.
German typographer Harald Geisler made a typographic correspondence reenactment project of the two penpals (Brieffreunde). Through Kickstarter aid, Geisler designed the Albert Einstein font and the Sigmund Freud Typeface, recreating the authors’ handwriting as computer fonts based on original manuscripts on the handwriting styles of Einstein and Freud, and released a limited print run of the 30 July 1932 letter Einstein wrote to Freud, translated into English.
People are welcome to write a reply to Einstein’s letter in the form of notes or letters, handwritten or typed, either through snailmail to engage in enhanced reenactment, or email. All replies will be compiled and made available in a publication.
To follow the project or learn more, please see EinsteinFreudLetters.org
Scanned page from the package I received