From relativity to racial justice, planned Einstein Museum has it all

By Rebekah Schroeder

Princeton is a proud piece of the “pi” that is Albert Einstein’s life and legacy. Although many of Einstein’s monumental scientific findings preceded his time in the town where he had come as a Jewish refugee of Nazi Germany, his reputation as a physicist, humanitarian, and source of wisdom endured.

With his every casual walk through Princeton, Einstein and his signature white, wiry-haired image would challenge the almost mythological lore of what someone famous should be or do. He expressed disdain for his “celebrity” status and followed an approach as simple as the theorist’s favorite treat — vanilla ice cream in a cone with chocolate sprinkles.

Einstein was born on March 14, 1879, the date now known as “Pi Day” because of its match to the beginning digits of the mathematical constant. This time is annually observed to promote learning in the spirit of Einstein, but rather than wait to activate these atoms of education each year, Einstein’s history in Princeton is being specifically recognized through the Princeton Einstein Museum of Science, or PEMS.

Elizabeth Romanaux, the founder and project director of PEMS (a working title), spent most of her life in Princeton before she moved to nearby Kingston. Her father, the late psychiatrist Peter Penick, was an undergraduate student at Princeton University when Einstein was still alive.

As her father and others of that era shared stories about the scientist’s daily activities or quirks, Romanaux said she almost, in a sense, “grew up with him” through these verbal snapshots.

“We felt like he was one of us, and for probably the most famous man in the world, one of the things I most appreciated about Einstein was [that] he walked among us. He was a Princetonian,” Romanaux explained. “He allowed himself to be part of the community. He reached out and talked to people, and I think we’ve lost that feeling.”

Such a sentiment has led Romanaux down the path of establishing this new boutique museum, which is currently in the “quiet fundraising phase” and is anticipated to launch in about two or three years, depending on financing.

PEMS is planned to open in the former space of Triumph Brewing Company at 138 Nassau Street and would be the first museum to highlight Einstein outside of Europe. Romanaux, who is also the chair and treasurer, noted that Einstein’s story — the full, unedited one — is still significant for the local communities of Princeton that knew him well.

When the Nazis came into power in January of 1933, Einstein had just left Germany with his second wife, Elsa, a month earlier, for California. Einstein accepted, while still living in his home country, an invitation to work at the newly established Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, so he moved to New Jersey and remained there until his death on April 18, 1955.

While the scientist has a permanent exhibit at the Historical Society of Princeton, there are few Einstein-centric spots in Princeton, leading many to visit his former home — which has no plaque or markers indicating it as such, per Einstein’s own wishes — or the two bronze busts of him, one by Robert Burks at Monument Hall and the other by Sir Jacob Epstein at the temporarily closed Princeton University Art Museum.

Romanaux, an award-winning marketing and public relations expert with more than four decades of experience, is a selfdescribed “science nerd.” She worked for the Liberty Science Center, an interactive museum in Jersey City, prior to the facility’s opening in 1992 and until her re- tirement in 2020. Romanaux was behind many creative advertising and promotional activities in the span of those 28 years, but she also took the time to speak with younger age groups to build their education, as well as, hopefully, their love for science.

The former Triumph building is roughly 11,000 square feet, with a 30-foot-high ceiling and a long, winding gallery entrance area where Romanaux plans to feature historical context for Einstein’s time in Princeton. This will inform guests of Einstein’s lesser-known history of “antiracist” advocacy and dispel common “misconceptions” about the scientist, such as that he worked for the university rather than the Institute for Advanced Study.

A space-time fabric optical illusion hallway floor would introduce the museum experience, while PEMS, which is also proposed to serve as a visitor’s center for the town, has a peaked roof that Romanaux intends to use as an overheard art gallery.

The exhibit concepts, suited for anyone eight and older, include interactive opportunities for hands-on experiments, an immersive theater experience visualizing his theory of light and space-time, a game on quantum entanglement, the power of

NAMED A 2022–23

NAMED A 2022–23

BEST ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY BY U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT

BEST ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY BY U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT

We’re so proud to offer our residents the best of the best—from dining and fitness centers to social calendars—because we don’t just care for you, we care about you. As a nationally ranked Senior Living community, we’re proof that doing what you love is always worth it. So come do it here.

We’re so proud to offer our residents the best of the best—from dining and fitness centers to social calendars—because we don’t just care for you, we care about you. As a nationally ranked Senior Living community, we’re proof that doing what you love is always worth it. So come do it here.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children is a nonprofit organization committed to advocating for foster children to have their needs met and their rights protected.

You need no special background.

ATTEND AN INFO SESSION

MERCER COUNTY

March 15th @ NOON

March 20th @ 5:00 PM

Mercer County CASA O ce: 1450 Parkside Ave. Ewing, NJ

BURLINGTON COUNTY

March 15th @ 10:30 AM April

VISIT OUR WEBSITE: CASAMB.ORG

To learn more contact: Jill Du y (Mercer) JDu y@casamercer.org

Harry Cassidy (Burlington) HCassidy@casamercer.org