History of Ideas
The job at the Federal Office for Intellectual Property – Einstein referred to it tongue-in-cheek as his "cobbler's trade" – turned out to be stroke of good fortune because it was excellently paid (CHF 3500 per year) and was undemanding for his nimble intelligence. He spoke of the Federal Office for Intellectual Property as "that worldly cloister... See more
Einstein at the patent office - Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property
A brief portrait of Einstein and the importance of the patent office job