Mileva Marić Einstein

Pioneering female physicist and crucial collaborator in early relativity theories

Mileva Marić Einstein (1875-1948), the first wife of Albert Einstein, represents one of the most intriguing untold stories in physics history. As one of the first women to study physics at Zürich Polytechnic, her intellectual contributions to Einstein's annus mirabilis papers remain hotly debated by historians.

New evidence from the Einstein Papers Project reveals Marić's active participation in Einstein's early work. Their 1903 marriage contract notably states they would share 'a scientific partnership', while contemporaries like physicist Abram Joffe recalled seeing both names on original manuscripts.

Marić's true legacy lies in breaking gender barriers: she endured pregnancy discrimination after having Einstein's illegitimate daughter Lieserl in 1902, ultimately leaving academia to support her husband's career. Modern reappraisals like Trbuhovic-Gjuric's biography argue she contributed essential mathematical solutions to relativity concepts.