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Charles Quincy Ascher Einstein may not be a household name, but he does have one famous relative: he’s the great-grandson of Albert Einstein. However, unlike his globally recognized great-grandfather, Charles has managed to maintain a rather private existence.
In 1971, Charles was born to Bernhard Caesar Einstein and Doris Aude Ascher. His connection to Albert Einstein has been verified, but there isn’t much information about his personal life and career. According to an article from 2008 in Discover magazine, he lives in Switzerland with his family, enjoys computer games, previously owned a store named Einstein’ s World, and now serves as spokesman for a large Swiss hospital.
Who Is Charles Quincy Ascher Einstein?
Charles Quincy Ascher Einstein is a descendant of Albert Einstein through the physicist’s son Hans Albert Einstein and grandson Bernhard Caesar Einstein.
In simple terms, the direct line is:
Albert Einstein → Hans Albert Einstein → Bernhard Caesar Einstein → Charles Quincy Ascher Einstein
That makes Charles Albert Einstein’s great-grandson, not his grandson or son. The relationship was also explicitly identified by German broadcaster ARD when Charles appeared as a 47-year-old contestant on Ich weiß alles! in 2018.
Charles Quincy Ascher Einstein: Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Charles Quincy Ascher Einstein |
| Also known as | Charly Einstein |
| Born | 1971 |
| Father | Bernhard Caesar Einstein |
| Mother | Doris Aude Ascher |
| Great-grandfather | Albert Einstein |
| Grandfather | Hans Albert Einstein |
| Known residence | Switzerland |
| Public appearance | Ich weiß alles!, 2018 |
Charles Quincy Ascher Einstein Family Tree
The family connection becomes easier to understand when the generations are placed side by side.
Charles Quincy Ascher Einstein Family Tree
A simple visual guide to Charles Quincy Ascher Einstein’s family connection to Albert Einstein.
Hermann Einstein
1847–1902
Pauline Koch
1858–1920
Albert Einstein
1879–1955
Charles’s great-grandfather
Albert Einstein
1879–1955
Mileva Marić
1875–1948
Hans Albert Einstein
1904–1973
Albert Einstein’s son
Albert Einstein → Hans Albert Einstein → Bernhard Caesar Einstein → Charles Quincy Ascher Einstein
Charles Quincy Ascher Einstein is therefore presented here as a great-grandson of Albert Einstein.
The supplied family-tree reference follows this same direct line from Abraham Einstein through Hermann, Albert, Hans Albert and Bernhard to Charles.
Bernhard Caesar Einstein’s Children
Charles was the youngest of Bernhard Caesar Einstein and Doris Aude Ascher’s five children. Family references list them as:
- Thomas Martin Einstein — born 1955
- Paul Michael Einstein — born 1959
- Eduard Albert “Ted” Einstein — born 1961
- Mira Einstein-Yehieli — born 1965
- Charles Quincy Ascher “Charly” Einstein — born 1971
Discover also identifies Charles as the couple’s last child.
This makes Charles part of a later generation of the Einstein family whose lives developed far away from the scientific fame associated with Albert Einstein.
His Father, Bernhard Caesar Einstein
Understanding Charles’s background requires a closer look at his father.
Bernhard Caesar Einstein was born to Hans Albert Einstein, making him Albert Einstein’s grandson. Unlike his grandfather, Bernhard became a technical engineer instead of a theoretical physicist. Some biographies mention his involvement in electronics and light amplification. He apparently did work related to night-vision technology and held patents as well.
Please take note of this. When researching Charles, some web pages combine Bernhard’s work with that of his son. Charles has never held any of the patents that his father did, and there is no evidence that he was an engineer of any sort.
What Did Charles Quincy Ascher Einstein Do?
Charles does not share the same public scientific record as Albert and Bernhard.
The best available published description of Charles’ reported career comes from a 2008 Discover profile. In that article, Charles is described as having grown up enjoying computer games and selling them through a business he owned named Einstein’ s World. The same article stated he worked later on as a spokesman for a large Swiss hospital.
The above details are sourced much better than several inventor, software developer, or engineer claims on many new biography websites. Those claims should not be repeated as facts unless additional evidence is provided by independent sources.
A Rare Television Appearance
This portrait of Charles is primarily about the little public information we can find about him. That does not mean Charles has never appeared in public.
Charles appeared on 8 September 2018 on the German programme Ich weiß alles!, a quiz show, as a contestant. In ARD’ s press information on the episode, Charles was listed as age 47, a resident of the canton of Bern, and as Albert Einstein’ s great-grandson.
The television episode is highlighted here because it is a recent, publicly-viewable record of Charles. Too much of what has been written about him comes from genealogy websites.
Life Away From the Spotlight
Charles’s story is unusual largely because of what is not publicly available.
Albert Einstein’s life is extensively documented, with books, letters, archives, and scientific publications covering almost every facet of it. We do not have that for Charles. What we do not know about his life far exceeds what we can publicly verify.
Even though he shares a last name, Charles has lived his life without the spotlight. The Discover article about him focused more on his experiences relative to Albert Einstein than it did about specifics of his life.
His reported job history is also a departure from the careers of Albert, Hans Albert, and Bernhard Caesar Einstein.
Rather than assuming that every member of a famous family followed the same professional direction, Charles’s story shows how later generations can establish identities of their own.
Charles Quincy Ascher Einstein and Albert Einstein’s Legacy
Being Albert Einstein’s great-grandson inevitably creates public curiosity, but familial legacy and individual accomplishments are not always the same.
Albert’s accomplishments are Albert’s. Bernhard Caesar Einstein has his own accomplishments in engineering. As for Charles: his published history is far more low-key. There’s a private life, some computer game design interests, purported work in a clothing shop and as a hospital spokesman in Switzerland, and a role in one of history’s most famous family legacies.
It’s a distinction worth mentioning, as various websites parrot the same details about Charles without properly sourcing where they found that information.
Final Thoughts
Charles Quincy Ascher Einstein, son of Bernhard Caesar Einstein, is the youngest in that branch of the family. He is also the grandson of Hans Albert Einstein and great grandson of Albert Einstein.
What we know most about Charles is his relation to Albert and his brief interview on TV7 in 2018. There is an article on Discover that details his history with computer games, his former clothing store and his stint as a hospital spokesman in Switzerland.
Other than that, not too much information is known about his personal life. And that may just be Charles’ greatest claim to fame. Just because you have one of the most recognizable names in history, doesn’t mean you have to live your life in the spotlight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Charles Quincy Ascher Einstein related to Albert Einstein?
Yes. Charles is Albert Einstein’s great-grandson, through Hans Albert Einstein and Bernhard Caesar Einstein.
Who are Charles Quincy Ascher Einstein’s parents?
His parents are identified as Bernhard Caesar Einstein and Doris Aude Ascher.
When was Charles Quincy Ascher Einstein born?
He was born in 1971. Discover identifies him as Bernhard and Doris’s youngest child.
Does Charles Quincy Ascher Einstein live in Switzerland?
Discover reported that Charles and his family lived in Switzerland.
Did Charles work for a hospital?
According to the 2008 Discover profile, he later worked as a spokesman for a large hospital in Switzerland.
Did Charles Quincy Ascher Einstein appear on television?
Yes. ARD listed him as a contestant on Ich weiß alles! in 2018.
