The Anti-Relativity Movement

America's embrace of Einstein stood in stark contrast to the treatment he was getting at home. Right-wing relativity deniers, like modern American climate science deniers, mounted ad hominem attacks against Einstein and his theory, which they loudly branded a "hoax." They were led by an engineer named Paul Weyland, who formed a small but mysteriously well-funded group that held anti-relativity rallies around Germany, denouncing the theory's "Jewish nature," and culminating in a major event at the Berlm Philharmonic Hall on August 24, 1920. Einstein attended, only to suffer more personal attacks.^^ The political animosity grew so oaa mai r-mstem decided to leave Berlin.^"^ "This world is a strange madhouse," he wrote a friend three weeks after the rally. "Currently every coachman and every waiter is debating whether relativity theory is correct. Belief in this matter depends on political party affiliation."^^ Even prominent physicists were getting into the denialism, largely along political lines. The winner of the 1905 Nobel physics prize, Philipp Lenard, who had previously exchanged flattering letters with Einstein, had since become bitter about the Jews and jealous of the popular publicity Einstein's theory was receiving. He now called relativity "absurd" and lent his name to Weyland's group's publicity brochures, and as a Nobel laureate he worked behind the scenes to make certain Einstein would be denied the prize.

Just as there are Climate Change Deniers today, there were those who would not accept Einstein's Theory for political reasons.