Numerous relevant documents can be found at the Federal Archives website.

Any available material is published on our website. The IGE has neither a collection of documents nor a historian who could prepare such materials.

We can assume that the following patents were personally examined by Einstein (unfortunately, more exact details aren’t available):

• Pat.-Nr. 39561 (pdf): Gravel sorter

• Pat.-Nr. 39619 (pdf): Meteorological station controlled by ambient humidity

• Pat.-Nr. 39853 (pdf): Electrical typewriter with shuttle-type carrier

• Supplementary-Pat.-Nr. 39988 (pdf) (to main patent Nr. 38853):

    Alternative-current commentator motor with short-circuit brushes and opposite-mounted auxiliary coils for spark suppression

• Objections to Alternative-current commentator motor (pdf)

The IGE was established November, 15 1888. Its official names have been:
1888 to 1979 – Federal Office for Intellectual Property
1979 to 1996 – Federal Intellectual Property Agency
and, as of January 1, 1996 – Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (statutory federal institute with independent legal status)

• 1921 – 1931 An office barrack constructed during the World War I in the Spitalacker quarter, Bern

• 1931 – 1960 The Kirchenfeld quarter, Bern (location of the Swiss National Library today)

• 1960 – 2007 Einsteinstrasse 2 (formerly called Eschmannstrasse)

• June 2007 – present, Business Park Bern, 65 Stauffacherstrasse, in the Wankdorf Qarter of Bern.

Einstein was hired as a technical assistant, level III on June 23, 1902. He earned 3,500 francs per year. When he was promoted to technical assistant, level II on March 10, 1906, his salary increased to 4,500 francs per year. On July 16, 1909 he handed in his resignation and began a position as Professor Extraordinary in theoretical physics at the University of Zurich.

The building on the Speichergasse is currently used by Swisscom. Einstein's former office has been remodelled. There is nothing to remind us of the famous patent clerk who worked there. The entrance to the building is not public. Einstein's desk in the house at 49 Kramgasse, where he lived from 1903 to 1905, can be visited.

There is a vast amount of information available on the internet. The following websites have interesting facts about Einstein’s Bern period:

• EInstein-Gesellschaft and EInsteinhouse

• Bundesarchiv

• Swiss National Library containing the private collection of Max Flückiger on Einstein

• Einstein Webseite
  

• Albert Einstein Archives

Under www.einstein-bern.ch for example.

Einstein was actually employed at the Federal Office of Intellectual Property, which used to be casually referred to as 'the patent office.' In fact, what is referred to as the Institute of Intellectual Property today, is responsible for all federal matters concerning patents, trademarks, designs and copyrights in Switzerland and it is involved in these areas internationally as well.