Our museums and galleries house fascinating collections, from living bugs to The Beatles, fine art to photography, the Titanic to ancient Egypt.

Follow us online: Facebook Twitter Flickr

National Museums Liverpool Blog - Einstein's immigration papers to go on display

 Thursday, May 05, 2011

Einstein's immigration papers to go on display


Thursday 05 May 11

Lucy Gardner, assistant curator at the UK Border Agency National Museum, has news of a how a simple document - which is going on display next week - marks a key moment in Einstein's history.



photo of Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein during his stay in Oxford in 1933. © Senior Common Room, Christ Church, Oxford
"The Seized! the Border and Customs uncovered gallery has been collecting items which tell the story of immigration into the UK throughout history. Many people have come to Britain over the years, including some who were made to flee their native countries in fear for their lives.

A landing card that will go on show for the very first time next week is proof that one of the most famous names in history came to Britain seeking safe haven in 1933. Albert Einstein was forced to leave Germany when Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party gained power and began its brutal persecution of minority groups, including Jewish people. Einstein was already world famous for his discoveries in physics but the Nazi regime said he was an enemy of the state and made him an assassination target!

We are extremely privileged to have acquired this historic document which brings to life the very real danger that people faced with the rise of the Nazis in Europe. It marks the journey that Einstein took when he left mainland Europe on 26 May 1933 and came to Dover, England. At this point he was forced to accept that he would never return home to Berlin.

The card will be on temporary display from 10 May alongside details of the dramatic story of why Einstein was compelled to escape and what he went on to do.

Immigration officers at the border serve to protect our country and manage the flow of people inwards and outwards. If you look closely at the display you will be able to see the immigration officer's stamp which allowed Einstein to pass into Britain."


Posted by Sam | 05/05/2011 11:37   | Comments [0]

Post a comment

All comments require the approval of the site owner before being displayed.
Name
E-mail

Comment (HTML not allowed)  

Enter the code shown (prevents robots):

Live Comment Preview

By posting your comment you have agreed to the terms and conditions below

Terms & Conditions

National Museums Liverpool welcomes your comments. All comments are moderated and will only be published if they adhere to the following standards. The editors reserve the right not to publish comments which they deem inappropriate:

  1. Our Maritime Archives and Library deals with enquiries relating to all aspects of Liverpool's maritime history including ships, passengers, seafarers, shipping and maritime companies. Their web pages describe the information they hold and how to get in touch, along with useful research guides on popular subjects such as tracing seafaring or emigrant ancestors. Please do not submit requests for this type of information as comments on this blog.
  2. Specific enquiries, as opposed to comments on blog posts, should be submitted using our contact system. Please note that we do not provide valuations.
  3. Posts must be text only and under 1000 characters (including spaces). Html code, links or multimedia are not permitted.
  4. We will aim (but do not guarantee) to publish approved comments within 72 hours although there may be delays over weekends and during public holidays.
  5. Please do not post anything that is libellous, abusive, obscene, prejudiced or unlawful.
  6. Do not contravene any rights to privacy (such as personal contact details), copyright or trademark legislation.
  7. Please do not spam or post commercial promotional information.
  8. By posting you agree that you are wholly responsible for the content that you post. Although the blog comments will be moderated National Museums Liverpool will publish comments in the good faith that they comply with the law.
  9. By posting your comment you agree that it may be reproduced by National Museums Liverpool online or in print without compensation.