Of Albert Einstein and Wole Soyinka

<br /> Of Albert Einstein and Wole Soyinka,Berlin and Ibadan by Augustine Togonu-Bickersteth<br /> There are some strange developments and<br /> coincidences happening between Germany and Nigeria,<br /> particularly as it concerns Albert Einstein and Wole<br /> Soyinka on the hand and Berlin and Ibadan on the<br /> other<br /> .Einstein and Soyinka have both been associated with the unconventional.<br /> Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany a Federal<br /> Republic and Wole Soyinka was born in Ake, Nigeria now<br /> a Federal republic. Note that Ulm and Ake are both<br /> three letters.<br /> Einstein has been described as the<br /> greatest scientist of the 20th century and Wole<br /> Soyinka perhaps the world’s greatest living dramatist.<br /> Einstein and Soyinka both won<br /> the Nobel Prize. They are both associated with social<br /> and political causes. Einstein loved sailing and<br /> relatedly Soyinka is a self confessed Sea Dog<br /> Einstein and Soyinka are both known for composing and<br /> playing string instruments. In the case of Einstein it<br /> was the Violin, whereas, Soyinka plays the Guitar.<br /> Einstein and Soyinka were at first not successful as<br /> married men. They both remarried.Einsten </p> <p>And soyinka campaigned against lives wasted by the first world War and Road accident respectively<br /> Einstein had a<br /> friend, a fellow physicist, Max Planck, then the<br /> recognized head of German science, he gave a lift of<br /> some sort to Einstein in the academic circles,.He brought him into the fold of the Berlin Academy. Planck<br /> was President of the Kaiser Willem Society (now Max<br /> Planck Society for the Advancement of Science).<br /> Einstein and Planck parted ways. </p> <p>Soyinka had a friend, the physicist, muyiwa Awe,<br /> first African Professor of Physics on the African<br /> continent, first President Nigeria institute of<br /> Physics; first President of the West African<br /> Association of Science and first Secretary General,<br /> African Union of Physicists. Awe was a member of the<br /> appointment and promotions committee of the University<br /> of Ibadan, just before a final decision was to be<br /> taken as to the suitability or otherwise of Wole<br /> Soyinka for a professorship. Soyinka did not bag the<br /> professorship. Awe raised a technical objection to the<br /> procedure of the committee. So revealed Awe in the<br /> book, Before our very eyes (spectrum) a tribute to<br /> Wole Soyinka as edited by Dapo Adelugba.<br /> Like Einstein and Planck, Soyinka and Awe, parted ways<br /> at least spiritually. Soyinka did write in the<br /> Guardian Newspaper that Awe had a penchant for fouling up<br /> relationships. </p> <p>Planck retired from the University of Berlin and Awe<br /> retired from the University of Ibadan. Note that<br /> Berlin is the political and cultural capital of<br /> Germany and Ibadan is the political capital of the<br /> Yoruba Nation, and to used to serve as the cultural<br /> capital of Nigeria. Berlin and Ibadan are both six letters,Germany and Nigeria both seven letters. </p> <p>Interestingly , Ulli Beier, a German Jew like Einstein has been described as the Father of Yoruba Culture<br /> In Berlin is the German Institute for Economic Research and in Ibadan is the Nigerian Institute of social and economic research. </p> <p>In Berlin we have the free University of Berlin,<br /> founded in 1948, the University of Ibadan was also<br /> founded in 1948.<br /> Einstein went into exile. Similarly Soyinka went into<br /> exile<br /> There is the Albert Einstein society, and there is as<br /> well the Wole Soyinka society. Einstein said Imagination is a lot better than knowledge and Soyinka,Imagination is the soul of the spirit.<br />