Mileva

Mileva Marić (December 19, 1875 – August 4, 1948) was a Serbian physicist and mathematician and the first wife of Albert Einstein. Born in Titel, then part of Austria-Hungary (present-day Serbia), she came from a family that valued education. She studied mathematics and physics at the Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zurich (ETH Zurich) starting in 1896, becoming the only woman in her class. She met Albert Einstein there; the couple married in 1903 and had three children: Lieserl (born 1902; the child’s fate is uncertain), Hans Albert (1904–1983), and Eduard (1910–1965).

Her role in Einstein’s early work is a matter of historical debate. Some accounts claim she contributed to the mathematical development of his ideas; others view her influence as informal and not a co-authorial contribution. In mainstream biographies, she is not listed as a co-author of his scientific papers.

In 1914 the couple separated after Einstein moved to Berlin; they were officially divorced in 1919; Einstein then married his cousin Elsa. Mileva remained in Zurich with the children and supported them while Einstein’s career advanced.

Mileva Marić is recognized as one of the early women in science who pursued higher education at a time when female participation in physics and mathematics was limited. Her life is the subject of ongoing historical scholarship about women’s contributions to science and the dynamics of scientific collaboration in the early 20th century.