Cover photo courtesy of Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule.
Part 1
Looking down at the letter as it sat on the table next to her arthritic hands, Mileva laughed aloud to herself. She refused to lose herself in sorrow again due to Albert and his selfishness. No, she would not cry. Instead, she raised her coffee mug to her lips, blew softly to cool it, and looked out the window to the gently falling snow. Living 70 years in Switzerland, Mileva was used to the snow, but something about how the large flakes glided gently to her windowsill transported Mileva to her youth in Titel, Servia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Mileva had been born just before Christmas. Having her birthday in such close proximity to the holiday helped make winter her favorite time of the year. She often remembered her childhood warmly, as she had been doted on by her parents. Thanks to her father’s financial successes, Mileva and her siblings never wanted for anything, and Mileva always enjoyed being with her father. He never forced her to acquiesce to the rigid role expectations of her gender. Mileva recalled her father using words and numbers in their playtime. It was during these games at a very early age that her family discovered Mileva’s talent for math and languages. She also enjoyed and excelled in painting and music but knew her first love was in mathematics. As a child, Mileva was encouraged to study with her siblings. The family brought tutors to the home to aid in her educational process. Mileva loved those days. The lessons always seemed like games to her and her family. One day, when she was 15 years old, Mileva had just finished a particularly challenging lesson when her father called her into the dining room of their home.
“Hello my dear,” she recalled her father greeting her warmly.
“Hello Papa,” she replied as she moved forward to kiss his grizzled cheek, his rough whiskers scratching her lips in such a way that she could still feel to this day.
“Sit Mitza, I have some grave news,” her father said stoically. Mileva’s heart sank as her usually jovial father motioned to the chair next to him. Mileva sat obediently.
“Yes Papa,” she said weakly, looking down at her hands folded upon her lap.
“I have made arrangements for your future which will take you away from me, from your mama, from your family.”
“What are you saying Papa? What do you mean?"
Tears welled in Mileva’s eyes. She loved her family and did not wish to leave.
“I’ve spoken with your tutor Jovan, and he agrees you have a talent like none other he has seen in boys or girls in all his years of tutoring.”
Mileva looked up from her hands into her father’s smiling face. Her heart swelled even as tears spilled from her eyes.
“What do you mean Papa?” Mileva asked confused.
“Yes, yes, it’s okay my dear,” Papa said reassuringly as his smile broadened into a laugh. “Because of your work and Jovan’s recommendation, you have been accepted into Gymnasium.”
“Gymnasium?” Mileva was surprised. “I did not think it was possible for girls to attend prep school.”
“That’s correct,” her father began. “But as I said, due to your high marks and Jovan’s recommendation, you have been accepted provisionally. You will be the only girl in the school. You will be allowed to continue your studies as long as you do well and are competitive.”
Mileva could not contain her excitement any longer. She jumped out of her seat and threw her arms around Papa’s neck.
“Thank you Papa. I won’t disappoint you, I promise,” Mileva said into her father’s neck.
“I’ve always been proud of you Mitza, no matter what is to come.”
Tears rolled down Mileva’s weathered cheek as she awoke from her reverie. She chose not to wipe them, instead letting them splash on the table next to her now cold mug of coffee. Over the next five years, Mileva excelled in school. Not only did she survive in the all-male environment, she thrived in spite of the resentment and jeers made by the male students. Upon completion of her studies, Mileva was proud to say she had achieved the highest marks in her class in math and physics. Because of her promise, her family agreed she could relocate to Switzerland where she had been accepted into University in Zurich, one of the few cities that allowed women to attend University.