6671 - Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (1845–1923) — a handwritten and signed letter to the Office of the Court Marshal of Prince Alfons of Bavaria, 1912

Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (1845–1923) — a handwritten and signed letter to the Office of the Court Marshal of Prince Alfons of Bavaria, 1912 Small double-sheet of letterhead (22 x 14.4 cm) with the printed header “Geheimer Rath Röntgen.” Written in black ink; the location “Munich, on” is overwritten with “Davos—Switzerland, Flüela—Parkhotel—Dec. 27, 1912.” Addressed “To the Court Marshal’s Office of His Royal Highness Prince Alfons of Bavaria. Colonel Baron von Reitzenstein, Munich,” Röntgen writes to the Baron, “that I agree to the amendment to the lease agreement contained in your esteemed letter of the 23rd of this month. I take the liberty of enclosing the rent due on January 1, 1913, at the same time. - With the highest regard, your most devoted Dr. W.C. Röntgen,” the signature underlined. At the bottom margin, he adds, “P.S. I would very much appreciate a receipt sent to my Munich apartment.” and monogrammed with “R.” Below the date, in pencil in Reitenstein’s handwriting: “12/28/1912” with the initial “R,” and next to Röntgen’s signature, also in pencil “Check for 1,500 M in rent withdrawn—12/28/1912” with Reitzenstein’s signature. Folded once; the reverse side bears traces of black sealing wax from Röntgen’s business card (see the accompanying sheet). From 1900 to 1919, Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen and his wife Bertha lived as tenants on the first floor of a villa at Prinzregentenstr. 1 in Munich (today No. 61), which had been built between 1896 and 1899 on behalf of the Dutch Consul General Friedrich Karl Meyer. In 1903, Prince Alfons of Bavaria purchased the villa, which from then on was also known as the “Prince Alfons Villa.” In 1919, the prince gave the Röntgen family notice to vacate, as he wanted to move back into the villa himself after World War I. The monthly rent of 1,500 marks is equivalent today to approximately €10,000, adjusted for inflation. Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen had been a full professor of physics at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich since April 1, 1900; in the same year, he received the Barnard Medal from Columbia University in New York, and in 1901, he became the first Nobel laureate in physics. In 1920, he retired as a professor at LMU. Condition: II -