Einstein, a Notable Anchor Stone Builder

With a more than 125 year history there’s bound to be interesting stories about people who became users and supporters of the product. In our case, we have the well documented use of Anker Steinbaukasten by Albert Einstein (1879-1955). Perhaps fitting that Albert’s family name translated from German is “a stone”.

Maja Winteler-Einstein, Albert’s sister is quoted in The collected papers of Albert Einstein. ed. John Stachel. Volume 1: The early years. 1879-1902 saying “… games he played as a child were very characteristic of Albert’s capacities. These were mostly puzzles, fretsaw work, the erection of complicated structures with the well known Anker building blocks …”

Einstein famously said that “Imagination is more important than knowledge because knowledge is limited” and “I have no special talent, what I am is passionately curious.” Certainly these statements align with the ideas of the F. Ad. Richter Co. as they produced and marketed Anker Steinbaukasten during the 1880’s and 1890’s.

Two of Einstein’s boxes of Anker Stones and various building plans and papers sold at CHRISTIE’S London auction in July of 2016 for 62,500 GBP or $82,700 at the time.