26801 - Einstein’s letter to Kazantzakis

N. Lygeros
Translated from the Greek by Athena Kehagias

As unbelievable as it may seem, at the Kazantzakis Museum in Myrtia, there’s a copy of Albert Einstein’s letter to Nikos Kazantzakis which was typed in English at Princeton in America, sealed with his handwritten signature.
This fact is quite important in itself, as it constitutes evidenced of the reciprocal respect that existed between them, as well as their mutual interest regarding the torment suffered by our peoples due to extreme situations.
Because Albert Einstein was not merely a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921, nor was Nikos Kazantzakis merely the Peace Prize back in 1956.
They were both people pro Humanity, who were struggling for the others and not merely for their works, since that couldn’t be limited within the context of their specific field.
Consequently, a connecting link in this more humane context seemed quite natural.
Therefore we were greatly impressed by this original letter, which we were able to observe thanks to the intervention of the Kazantzakis Museum’s Chairman Mr.Stelios Matzapetakis, and additionally of course its Director Mrs Barbara Tsakas, who was kind enough to give us commentary tour guiding throughout the premises, which in actual fact lasted three hours, in order to reveal its archival wealth and not merely the exhibits.
That’s how we came accross this impressive letter, as well as Nikos Kazantzakis correspondence with Albert Camus.