Sunday, March 3, 2013

Rabindranath in Germany - July 1930

From England Rabindranath came to Germany on 11th July,1930. Aryum and Amiya Chakrabarty accompanied him.
He came year on 1921, and 1926 but this tour to Germany had some special features. The idea of internatiomalism he visualised in Germany at that time was not seen to be present this time. Now at the time of Hitler they were inspired with strong-nationalism. There he met with the Prime Minister Dr. Bruling and other members of the Parliament (Raikhstag) on 12 July 1930. After few days he met with Prof. Einstein.
Tagore and Einstein met through a common friend, Dr. Mendel. Tagore visited Einstein at his residence at Kaputh in the suburbs of Berlin on July 14, 1930, and Einstein returned the call and visited Tagore at the Mendel home. Both conversations were recorded and the above photograph was taken. The July 14 conversation is reproduced here, and was originally published in The Religion of Man (George, Allen & Unwin, Ltd., London), Appendix II, pp. 222-225
It is worth mentioning here that Einstein was not driven from Germany at that moment but after some days he had to leave of Germany as he was a Jew. He  went to America and Rabindranath met him there too.