In which city was the Swiss Patent Office?

Correct answer: Bern

The governing concept is identifying the geographical setting of an important phase in Einstein’s working life. The Swiss Patent Office where Einstein worked was located in Bern, Switzerland, so option B is correct. Rome, London, and Paris are major European cities, but none is the city named in this biographical account. It is useful to separate the country from the city: Switzerland is the country, while Bern is the city containing the office. Zurich was associated with his higher studies, whereas Bern was associated with his patent-office employment. This comparison helps prevent the common mistake of exchanging the locations of his education and his job.