Dormant accounts of Einstein and Freud held at Swiss banks

Swiss banks still have accounts held by Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud swissinfo.ch

The names Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud are among those of the holders of dormant Swiss bank accounts dating from the Holocaust-era. The names came to light when a new list of 21,000 accounts was published on the Internet on Monday.

The list of accounts reveals that Einstein, registered as a resident of Germany, holds one or more open or suspended dormant accounts at Swiss banks, which he opened between 1933 and 1945, as does Freud, an Austrian.

It is not clear whether any funds are still in these accounts, or why the two men – considered among the greatest minds of the 20th century – did not close the accounts.

The accounts are part of a list, published by Swiss banks, to help victims of the Holocaust, or their heirs, to track down dormant accounts, which they opened in Switzerland during the Nazi-era.

Jewish groups say that some dormant accounts were closed and that the money was paid out to unauthorised people – a claim Swiss banks deny.

Einstein (1879-1955) was for many years a resident of Switzerland, and was working in the Swiss Patent Office when he developed his special theory of relativity.

Freud (1856-1939) is known to have visited Switzerland on numerous occasions.

swissinfo