In one of the most startling revelations, Albert had considered breaking off his engagement to Elsa and proposing to 20-year-old Ilse instead.By the early 1930s, anti-semitism was on the rise and Albert had become the target of various right-wing groups. The two factors contributed to Albert and Elsa’s decision to move from Germany to the United States in 1933, where they settled in Princeton, N.J.Not long after their move, Elsa received the news that Ilse had developed cancer. Ilse was living in Paris at the time and Elsa traveled to France to spend time with Ilse during her final days. Upon returning back to the U.S. in 1935, Elsa was plagued with health issues of her own. She developed heart and liver problems which got continually worse. During this time, Albert retreated further into his work. Walter Isaacson, the author of
Einstein: His Life and Universe, addressed the duality of the physicist. “When confronted with the emotional needs of others, Einstein tended to retreat into the objectivity of his science,” Isaacson said.
