Yes. Of course, Hitler and the Nazis knew who Albert Einstein was, he was world-famous, and he was the eminence grise of German physics. He was in danger in 1933 and had already arranged an exit plan for himself and his wife. He had bought a home in Belgium.
Albert Einstein, a renowned physicist and Nobel laureate, faced significant peril when Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist government rose to power in 1933. Due to his Jewish heritage and outspoken criticism of the Nazi regime’s repressive policies, Einstein became a primary target of the regime’s hostility.
Following Hitler’s rise to power, Einstein publicly spoke out against the Nazi government’s oppressive measures. He resigned from the Prussian Academy of Sciences, sought release from his German citizenship, and found refuge in Belgium. In response, the German press launched relentless attacks against him, and his scientific works were publicly burned in Berlin. Additionally, the government seized his and his wife’s bank accounts, and there were reports of their villa near Berlin being searched for alleged treasonous activities.
The German propaganda machinery targeted Einstein, portraying him negatively in anti-Semitic publications. Government-approved propaganda depicted him with threatening captions, such as “BIS JETZT UNGEHAENGT” (“not yet hanged”), demonstrating the intensity of hostility towards him.
Due to Einstein’s vocal opposition to the Nazi regime, he became a prime target for persecution. As a result, he was forced to seek refuge in England, where he lived under guarded protection arranged by a conservative Member of Parliament. He feared potential German reprisals, which is why he had to take these measures to secure his safety.
For detailed information about Einstein’s interactions with the Nazis and the circumstances surrounding his departure from Germany, exploring scholarly works and credible historical sources would provide a comprehensive understanding of this period in Einstein’s life and the broader context of Nazi persecution.