Max Planck Autograph Letter Signed with Signed Letter of Transmittal from Max von Laue. Includes: Max Planck Autograph Letter Signed. Two pages, recto and verso of one sheet, 5.75" x 8.25", Brandenburg; October 5, 1943. It is written in German in Sütterlin script and is only partially translated. It was sent to Max von Laue and contains a birthday greeting for his dear friend. It reads in part [English translation]: "So that my letter will be in time with you for your birthday, I write you today...Of course, nobody knows, what the next day will bring, and when these insane times will find an end..." Signed, "M. Planck." Max von Laue Signed Autograph Letter of Transmittal. One page, 8.25" x 11.75", Berlin; January 27, 1955. Addressed to a Dr. Frank Groom Kirtz and written on Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society stationery. Composed in German with an English translation included. In it, he passes along Planck's letter. It reads in part [English translation]: "...I am sending you a letter from the hand of my highly respected mentor Max Planck. It contains a birthday greeting for me. Letters from him with scientific content hardly exist. When Planck finished a bit of research, he published it; but never spoke or wrote about it to anyone." Signed, "M. v. Laue." Planck's Berlin home was devastated during an air raid in 1944 and most of his manuscripts and books were destroyed, making his surviving letters all the more significant. Together with transmittal envelope. Max von Laue Typed Letter Signed. One page, 8.25" x 11.75", Berlin; January 7, 1955. Also addressed to a Dr. Frank Groom Kirtz and written on Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society stationery. Composed in German with an English translation included. In it, he recommends a book to Dr. Kirtz that contains an essay authored by Max Planck and offers to loan him his personal copy if necessary. Together with transmittal envelope. Max Planck (1858-1947) was a German physicist considered the originator of the quantum theory. He won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1918. While he is primarily known for his research that revolutionized atomic and subatomic processes, he also contributed to the fields of thermodynamics and physical chemistry. Max von Laue (1879-1960) was a German physicist known for his discovery of the diffraction of x-rays on crystals for which he would win the Nobel Prize in 1914. His technique would be used by Rosalind Franklin to prove the structure of DNA. Condition: Planck letter is toned with two punch holes on left margin. Light soiling. Max von Laue autograph letter has rubbing and some minor dampstaining. Smoothed mail folds to all. HID03101062020 © 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved