On 10 January 1934, German Patent No. 590 783 was granted to Albert Einstein and Rudolf Goldschmidt for an apparatus for sound reproduction devices.
The backstory is unusually human. The invention grew out of an effort to help a hearing impaired singer in Einstein’s circle by exploring an alternative way to perceive sound. Instead of relying only on hearing through air, the invention relayed with bone conduction, where vibrations travel through the skull directly to the inner ear.
There is also a stark historical footnote in the patent record itself. When the patent was granted, the German Imperial Patent Office identified the inventor as “Dr. Albert Einstein formerly of Berlin, current residence unknown”. Einstein remained in the United States after the Nazis took power.
A patent that captures both empathy driven engineering and the political rupture of its time.
Last updated on 12 January 2026