40 INTRODUCTORYnervous disorders, he obtained a release from the Gymnasium and in the early
spring of 1895 traveled to Pavia. He promised his parents, who were upset by his
sudden arrival, that he would prepare himself by self-study for the admission
examination at the ETH in Zurich and also informed them that he planned to
give up his German citizenship [Fl]. A new, freer life and independent work
transformed the quiet boy into a communicative young man. The Italian land-
scape and the arts made a lasting impression on him [M7].
In October 1895 Einstein went to Zurich to take the ETH examination. He
failed, although he did well in mathematics and the sciences.* Following a sug-
gestion to obtain the Matura, the high school diploma that would entitle him to
enroll at the ETH, he next went to the cantonal school in Aarau, in the German-
speaking part of Switzerland, where he boarded with the Winteler family. For
Jost Winteler, one of his teachers and a scholar in his own right, Einstein devel-
oped great respect, for Frau Winteler a deep affection. He got along well with
their seven children and was treated as part of the family.
For the first time in his life he enjoyed school. Shortly before his death he wrote,
'This school has left an indelible impression on me because of its liberal spirit and
the unaffected thoughtfulness of the teachers, who in no way relied on external
authority' [E5]. The frontispiece photograph, taken in Aarau, shows Einstein as
a confident-looking, if not cocky, young man without a trace of the timidity of the
earlier years. A classmate later remembered his energetic and assured stride, the
touch of mockery in his face, and his 'undaunted ways of expressing his personal
opinion, whether it offended or not' [S4]. He may always have been sure of him-
self. Now it showed.
A brief essay by Einstein, entitled 'Mes Projets d'Avenir,' has survived from his
Aarau schooldays (reproduced on pp. 42-43). Written in less-than-perfect French
in about 1895, it conveys his sense of purpose. In translation, it reads
My plans for the future
A happy man is too content with the present to think much about the future.
Young people, on the other hand, like to occupy themselves with bold plans.
Furthermore, it is natural for a serious young man to gain as precise an idea as
possible about his desired aims.
If I were to have the good fortune to pass my examinations, I would go to
[the ETH in] Zurich. I would stay there for four years in order to study math-
ematics and physics. I imagine myself becoming a teacher in those branches of
the natural sciences, choosing the theoretical part of them.
Here are the reasons which led me to this plan. Above all, it is [my] dispo-
sition for abstract and mathematical thought, [my] lack of imagination and
practical ability. My desires have also inspired in me the same resolve. That is
quite natural; one always likes to do the things for which one has ability. Then
there is also a certain independence in the scientific profession which I like a
great deal. [E5]
*He was examined in political and literary history, German, French, biology, mathematics, descrip-
tive geometry, chemistry, physics, and drawing and also had to write an essay.