Hermann Einstein (1847-1902)

Hermann Einstein (August 30, 1847 – October 10, 1902) was the father of Albert Einstein.

Hermann Einstein (also known as Hermann Moos) was born in Buchau, Württemberg to Abraham Einstein(Apr. 8, 1808–Nov. 21, 1868) and Helene Moos (July 3, 1814–Aug. 20, 1887), who had married in Buchau in April 1839. They were German Jews. He had six siblings:

Raphael (Dec. 3, 1839-Jan. 15, 1842); male, Jette (Jan. 13, 1844-Jan. 7, 1905); female, Heinrich (Oct. 12, 1845-Nov. 16, 1877); male, August Ignaz (Dec. 23, 1849-Apr. 14, 1911); male, Jakob (Nov. 25, 1850-1912); male, Friederike "Rika" (Mar. 15, 1855-June 17, 1938); female.

At the age of 14, Hermann attended the secondary school in the regional capital Stuttgart and was academically successful. He had a strong affection for mathematics, and would have liked to study in this or a related area, but as the financial situation of the family opposed further education, he decided to become a merchant and began an apprenticeship in Stuttgart.

Marriage to Pauline
Main article: Pauline KochHermann married 18-year-old Pauline Koch in Cannstatt, Württemberg on August 8, 1876. After their wedding, the young couple lived in Ulm, where Hermann became joint partner in the bed feathers shop of his cousins Moses and Hermann Levi. In Ulm, their son Albert was born on March 14, 1879. On the initiative of Hermann's brother Jakob, the family moved to Munich in the summer of 1880. There the two brothers founded the electrical engineering company Einstein & Cie, with Hermann being the merchant and Jakob the technician. The second child of Hermann and Pauline, their daughter Maria (called Maja) was born in Munich on November 18, 1881.

Work
The Einstein's electrical firm manufactured dynamos and electrical meters based on direct current. They were instrumental in bringing electricity to Munich, the capital of a very Catholic Bavaria. In 1885, they won the contract that provided DC lights to illuminate the Oktoberfest for the first time. To young, impressionable Albert, this must have been the source of great pride, for at this time Albert was the only Jew in his Catholic Petersschule class.

To their dismay, the Einstein brothers eventually lost a bidding war for the electrification contract of Munich to Siemens, which promoted the modern alternating current. Their fortunes took a decidedly downward turn from there.

The two brothers moved their company to Pavia, Italy in 1894. Hermann, Pauline and Maja moved to Milan in the same year and one year later moved to Pavia. Albert stayed with relatives in Munich to continue his education there. Due to poor business, Hermann and Jakob had to abandon their factory in 1896. Though Hermann had lost most of their money, he founded another electrical engineering company in Milan, this time without his brother. He was supported financially by his relatives in this venture. Though business was better this time, Hermann was preoccupied with “worries due to the vexatious money”. He moved back to Germany in 1902.