--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In 1929, Einstein, who had once lived in…" description: "\"“In 1929, Einstein, who had once lived in Switzerland, wrote: When I came to Germany fifteen years ago I discovered for the first time that I was a Jew..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/phyllis-goldstein-7858_fifteen-years_in-1929-einstein-who-had-once-lived-in-s_556602.jpg" --- # In 1929, Einstein, who had once lived in Switzerland… ![“In 1929, Einstein, who had once lived in Switzerland, wrote: When I came to Germany fifteen years ago I discovered for the first time that I was a Jew; and I owe this discovery more to Gentiles than to Jews…. I saw worthy Jews basely caricatured, and the sight made my heart bleed. I saw how…” quote by Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/phyllis-goldstein-7858_fifteen-years_in-1929-einstein-who-had-once-lived-in-s_556602.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/phyllis-goldstein-7858_fifteen-years_in-1929-einstein-who-had-once-lived-in-s_556602.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/phyllis-goldstein-7858_fifteen-years_in-1929-einstein-who-had-once-lived-in-s_556602.jpg) > ““In 1929, Einstein, who had once lived in Switzerland, wrote: When I came to Germany fifteen years ago I discovered for the first time that I was a Jew; and I owe this discovery more to Gentiles than to Jews…. I saw worthy Jews basely caricatured, and the sight made my heart bleed. I saw how schools, comic papers, and innumerable other forces of the Gentile majority undermined the confidence of even the best of my fellow Jews, and felt that this could not be allowed to continue.4”” [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Einstein reflects on his Jewish identity, feeling both personal revelation and responsibility amid societal prejudice. **In simple terms:** Identity and prejudice shape personal responsibility. Key Takeaway Stand against discrimination. Themes identity prejudice responsibility Mood somber determined Type political historical When to use this quote - Jewish community - majority culture - education - media - personal reflection Key Concepts social psychology history Questions to Reflect On - How does personal identity influence activism? - What role does the majority play in shaping minority confidence? A Different Perspective It may generalize experiences of all Jews. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fifteen years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fifteen-years/) [Judaism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judaism/) ## Related quotes > [Jews have always thought that having someone elevated with his head above the grass was not good for the Jews. 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Relatively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-burnham/was-einstein-s-theory-good-relatively/) [Bo Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-burnham/) > [Bob Dylan has and Einstein had their own way of perceiving the universe and translating it for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-flynn/bob-dylan-has-and-einstein-had-their-own-way-of-perceiving-the/) [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) > [“Einstein is one of our robots who controls the substitution division, we had to develop a robotic scientist as the tasks required were beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-thrussell/einstein-is-one-of-our-robots-who-controls-the-substitution-division/) [Jill Thrussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-thrussell/) > [“I thought of Einstein, and his insistence that no particular point of view was more privileged than any other: in other words his ‘general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-charles-wilson/i-thought-of-einstein-and-his-insistence-that-no-particular-point-of/) [Robert Charles Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-charles-wilson/) > [In my downtime, you'll mostly find me curled up with a book. I love reading biographies. My favourites are those of Dalai Lama, Osama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madhur-bhandarkar/in-my-downtime-you-ll-mostly-find-me-curled-up-with-a-book-i-love/) [Madhur Bhandarkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madhur-bhandarkar/) > [He has a brain like Einstein's - dead since 1955](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-perret/he-has-a-brain-like-einstein-s-dead-since-1955/) [Gene Perret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-perret/) > [“A human being,’ said Einstein, ‘is part of the whole, which we call the Universe; a part limited in time and space. He experiences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-parke/a-human-being-said-einstein-is-part-of-the-whole-which-we-call-the/) [Simon Parke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-parke/) > [“La vie c’est comme la bicyclette : quand on arrête de pédaler on tombe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/la-vie-c-est-comme-la-bicyclette-quand-on-arr-te-de-p-daler-on-tombe/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [If I could have anyone's mind for a day, I really can't think of anyone other than Einstein.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bellamy-young/if-i-could-have-anyone-s-mind-for-a-day-i-really-can-t-think-of/) [Bellamy Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bellamy-young/) > [“Eddie saw great things and near misses. Albert Einstein as a child, not quite struck by a run-away milk-wagon as he crossed a street.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/eddie-saw-great-things-and-near-misses-albert-einstein-as-a-child-not/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“The generalized theory of relativity has furnished still more remarkable results. This considers not only uniform but also accelerated motion. In particular, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-michelson/the-generalized-theory-of-relativity-has-furnished-still-more/) A.A. Michelson > [Even Einstein had to rely for his time on his clock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/even-einstein-had-to-rely-for-his-time-on-his-clock/) [Stanislaw Jerzy Lec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/) ## More by Phyllis Goldstein > [“As accusations spread, so did the false belief that Jews routinely engaged in the practice of ritual murder. An accusation made repeatedly tends to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/as-accusations-spread-so-did-the-false-belief-that-jews-routinely/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“Still, by the end of the thirteenth century, most European Jews were forced to wear badges or distinguishing clothing. The aim was to humiliate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/still-by-the-end-of-the-thirteenth-century-most-european-jews-were/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“Mendelssohn’s books on philosophy and literature were hailed throughout Europe. He was described as “exceptional”—an “un-Jewish Jew,” one of a kind, a genius.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/mendelssohn-s-books-on-philosophy-and-literature-were-hailed/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“135 years later, in 586 BCE, the Babylonians conquered Judea, the southern kingdom. They destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem and forced thousands of Jews…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/135-years-later-in-586-bce-the-babylonians-conquered-judea-the/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“In Arab nations, many people opposed Zionism because they believed that the UN had no right to establish a Jewish state on what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/in-arab-nations-many-people-opposed-zionism-because-they-believed/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“After the Black Death in the mid-1300s, the persecution of Jews intensified, and many Jews in Europe moved farther east. Some left because life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/after-the-black-death-in-the-mid-1300s-the-persecution-of-jews/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“Many Jews in the Byzantine Empire welcomed the Persians. Some saw their arrival as an opportunity to win independence or even just a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/many-jews-in-the-byzantine-empire-welcomed-the-persians-some-saw/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“In 1255, a five-year-old boy was found dead in a well in Lincoln, England. Many historians today believe that young Hugh accidentally fell into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/in-1255-a-five-year-old-boy-was-found-dead-in-a-well-in-lincoln/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“The Greeks and Egyptians in Alexandria understood Flaccus’s announcement to mean that they could now treat Jews as they pleased. After all, people without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/the-greeks-and-egyptians-in-alexandria-understood-flaccus-s/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“For hundreds of years, Christians had been trying to convert the Jews, and now, for the first time, they had real success. Suddenly thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/for-hundreds-of-years-christians-had-been-trying-to-convert-the-jews/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“With each new rumor, each new accusation, the way Christians thought about Jews became more and more distorted. Jews were increasingly seen as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/with-each-new-rumor-each-new-accusation-the-way-christians-thought/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“The “age of enlightenment” ended some of the isolation, discrimination, and humiliation Jews had experienced in earlier times in Europe. Jews now had more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/the-age-of-enlightenment-ended-some-of-the-isolation-discrimination/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“When one group defeated another, the newly conquered people were expected to accept the gods of the victor. After all, the new gods had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/when-one-group-defeated-another-the-newly-conquered-people-were/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“Antisemitism did not begin in Germany, or anywhere else, in 1918; Jews had been regarded as dangerous outsiders for centuries, and anti-Jewish feeling usually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/antisemitism-did-not-begin-in-germany-or-anywhere-else-in-1918-jews/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“I first heard of antisemitism only later, when my father told me how Oswald Mosley had fomented riots in the thirties by marching his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/i-first-heard-of-antisemitism-only-later-when-my-father-told-me-how/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) [Explore all 86 Phyllis Goldstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) ## More Einstein quotes > [Even Einstein had to rely for his time on his clock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/even-einstein-had-to-rely-for-his-time-on-his-clock/) [Stanislaw Jerzy Lec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/) > [“The generalized theory of relativity has furnished still more remarkable results. This considers not only uniform but also accelerated motion. In particular, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-michelson/the-generalized-theory-of-relativity-has-furnished-still-more/) A.A. Michelson > [“Eddie saw great things and near misses. Albert Einstein as a child, not quite struck by a run-away milk-wagon as he crossed a street.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/eddie-saw-great-things-and-near-misses-albert-einstein-as-a-child-not/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [If I could have anyone's mind for a day, I really can't think of anyone other than Einstein.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bellamy-young/if-i-could-have-anyone-s-mind-for-a-day-i-really-can-t-think-of/) [Bellamy Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bellamy-young/) > [“La vie c’est comme la bicyclette : quand on arrête de pédaler on tombe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/la-vie-c-est-comme-la-bicyclette-quand-on-arr-te-de-p-daler-on-tombe/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“A human being,’ said Einstein, ‘is part of the whole, which we call the Universe; a part limited in time and space. He experiences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-parke/a-human-being-said-einstein-is-part-of-the-whole-which-we-call-the/) [Simon Parke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-parke/) > [He has a brain like Einstein's - dead since 1955](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-perret/he-has-a-brain-like-einstein-s-dead-since-1955/) [Gene Perret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-perret/) > [In my downtime, you'll mostly find me curled up with a book. I love reading biographies. My favourites are those of Dalai Lama, Osama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madhur-bhandarkar/in-my-downtime-you-ll-mostly-find-me-curled-up-with-a-book-i-love/) [Madhur Bhandarkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madhur-bhandarkar/) > [“I thought of Einstein, and his insistence that no particular point of view was more privileged than any other: in other words his ‘general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-charles-wilson/i-thought-of-einstein-and-his-insistence-that-no-particular-point-of/) [Robert Charles Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-charles-wilson/) > [“Einstein is one of our robots who controls the substitution division, we had to develop a robotic scientist as the tasks required were beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-thrussell/einstein-is-one-of-our-robots-who-controls-the-substitution-division/) [Jill Thrussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-thrussell/) > [Bob Dylan has and Einstein had their own way of perceiving the universe and translating it for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-flynn/bob-dylan-has-and-einstein-had-their-own-way-of-perceiving-the/) [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) > [Was Einstein's theory good? Relatively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-burnham/was-einstein-s-theory-good-relatively/) [Bo Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-burnham/) > [“In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not. —Albert Einstein”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-tegmark/in-theory-theory-and-practice-are-the-same-in-practice-they-are-not/) [Max Tegmark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-tegmark/) > [I am even grateful to Einstein and others because through their erroneous theories they lead mankind away from that dangerous path I followed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/i-am-even-grateful-to-einstein-and-others-because-through-their/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [“Imagination is more important than knowledge”, with due respect to Mr. Einstein, I beg to differ! “Imagination is not possible without knowledge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-are/imagination-is-more-important-than-knowledge-with-due-respect-to-mr/) I are Browse all 425 Einstein quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In 1929, Einstein, who had once lived in Switzerland, wrote: When I came to Germany fifteen years ago I discovered for the first time that I was a Jew; and I owe this discovery more to Gentiles than to Jews…. 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