Einstein and the popular image of science in the Netherlands: The Dutch reception of relativity theory in the aftermath of the First World War
Summary
Albert Einstein evoked a mass reaction after his theory of relativity was confirmed by, notably, British astronomers in 1919. In especially Germany and France, public reactions to relativity were largely coloured by nationalist sentiments aroused by World War I, and anti-relativists in both countries launched attacks on Einstein, his Jewish background, his politics, and on 'modern science'. In the Netherlands, the response to relativity was much more civilized, although in some quarters reserves against modern science were clearly distinguishable. In my thesis, I have examined the public reception of relativity in the Netherlands, with a particular focus on persistent efforts of Dutch physicists to influence that reception. First, I will provide an interpretation of social and cultural influences on popular reactions to relativity in the Netherlands. The immense popularity of relativity theory in the early 1920s however also serves as a starting point for an examination of Dutch 'public opinion' on science in general in that period.