Determine when Minkowski learned of Einstein’s Jahrbuch review

Determine when Hermann Minkowski learned of Albert Einstein’s 1907 Jahrbuch review of special relativity.

Background

The paper discusses the chronology of Minkowski’s work on relativistic electrodynamics and notes that Einstein’s Jahrbuch review was published on January 22, 1908. Although Minkowski presumably studied the review, the available historical evidence does not establish when he first obtained or read it. This unresolved chronological question matters because the manuscript containing Minkowski’s geometric explanation of Lorentz contraction was produced between the publication of Einstein’s review and Minkowski’s own Grundgleichungen paper.

References

We don't know when Minkowski learned about Einstein's Jahrbuch review, but we may surely assume that Minkowski would have studied Einstein's review as soon as he could get a hold of it.

— Minkowski's Geometric Explanation of Lorentz Contraction  (2608.20138 - Sauer, 20 Aug 2026) in Section 2, paragraph beginning “Minkowski knew about and cited Einstein's famous paper”