A letter written by Albert Einstein was unearthed after 65 years hidden in a Brazilian school.
Locked away in a school safe at Colégio Anchieta in Porto Alegre, Brazil, the typed note is written in German and signed by the physicist dating June 24, 1951.
Amongst the discovery was also a signed photograph of Einstein.
It reads, “He who knows the happiness of understanding has gained an infallible friend for life. Thinking is to man what flying is to birds. Don’t follow the example of a chicken when you could be a lark.”
The letter was written and sent from Princeton, New Jersey at the request of Father Gaspar Dutra who met Einstein in New York whilst training.
Father Dutra later brought the letter to Porto Alegre where he kept it locked in the school safe and eventually forgotten about.
School Coordinator Dário Schneider noted the value in the letter.
“It reinforces that knowledge is a great legacy, it has social relevance and no fixed place,” Schneider said.
“This really is a message that he left for Anchietans, to motivate them to seek knowledge because he is a remarkable person.
“Einstein affirms that knowledge is something that constitutes what it is to be human,” he said.
The letter was authenticated by a graphologist and legal expert, who matched the signature against officially accept examples of Einstein’s autograph, confirming it was indeed Einstein’s letter.
A replica of the letter is on display in the school’s museum.
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