A Golden Age of General Relativity? Some remarks on the history of general relativity

Abstract

In papers on the history of general relativity and in personal remembrances of relativists, keywords like "renaissance" and "golden age" of general relativity have been used. We try to show that the first label rests on a weak empirical basis. The second one, while describing a period of vivid growth in research in general relativity, exaggerates the importance of this particular development.