From February 22 to March 1, 1923, 100 years ago, the Mancomunitat de Catalunya invited the Nobel Prize-winning scientist Albert Einstein to Catalonia.
During his stay he visited Barcelona, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Terrassa, Poblet and L’Escola de l’Espluga de Francolí.
For his part, the Catalan scientist Esteve Terradas, was in charge of attending the visit of the Nobel Prize winner, who only accepted the invitation in 1921. In 1922 they had a meeting in Berlin to work out the details of the trip.
100 years ago, on February 22, 1923, Eistein was in Catalonia, Spain.
The scientist arrived aboard a train from Toulon (France) to Barcelona’s Estación de Francia just 100 years ago, on February 22, 1923.
It was a very profitable visit, as he gave several talks at the Institut d’Estudis Catalans and at the Reial Acadèmia de Ciències i Arts de Barcelona.
During his stay he also visited the Barcelona City Hall, the Industrial School and the School of the Sea. Also the monastery of Poblet or Sant Cugat del Vallès.
Today, the Fundació Catalana per a la Recerca i la Innovació, FCRI, wanted to commemorate the visit of the prestigious and unforgettable scientist to Catalonia through the portal “Einstein a Catalunya”. There you will find the details of the visit, what he did, what he said and the public impact it generated.
The website also publishes the Nobel Laureate’s itinerary in Catalonia through an interactive map.
Details of the visit
The portal brings readers closer to the figure of the German scientist and his contributions in the scientific field, explaining the context in which the visit to Catalonia took place.
In fact, if you look it up you can even find the dinner menu written in Latin offered to him by the politician Rafael Campalans. Each of the dishes offered made reference to the theory of relativity.
It is also possible to consult the letters written by Einstein, the references he made about Barcelona and Catalonia or even the details of the invoices for the flowers that his wife Elsa received during the visit.
The FCRI Foundation during 2023, will also make a specific recognition to the localities that hosted Einstein. At the ceremony, he will present his municipal representatives with the “Ciutat Einstein” awards and a series of plaques commemorating the important visit. The first to receive recognition will be l’Espluga de Francolí and Terrassa.
La Biennal Ciutat i Ciència joins the 100th anniversary commemoration
In Barcelona, the celebration of the Biennal Ciutat i Ciència will be used to commemorate this historic milestone through a workshop that will expose Einstein’s contributions and with an institutional event at the Reial Acadèmia de Ciències i Arts de Barcelona.
