Maximus von Imhof

German physicist, born 26 July, 1758, at Rissbach, in Bavaria ; died 11 April, 1817 at Munich. He was the son of a shoemaker. After preliminary studies at Landshut he entered the Augustinian Order in 1780 and taught, in the monastery at Munich, physics, mathematics, and philosophy from 1786 to 1791. In 1790 he became a member of the class in physics of the Munich Academy of Sciences, of which he was made director in 1800. In 1790 he received the appointment of Professor of Physics and Mathematics at the Electoral Lyceum, and in 1792 he was called by the academy to lecture in public on experimental physics and chemistry. He was elected prior of his monastery in 1798. In 1802 he left the order and was made canon of the Frauenkirche in Munich. During twenty-one years he superintended the installation of lightning-rods in Bavaria. His important published works are: "Theoria electricitatis", Munich, 1790; "Institutiones physices", Munich, 1796, "Experimental-Naturlehre" Munich, 1796; "Anfangsgruende der Chemie", Munich, 1802; "Anweis ueber Blitzableiter", Munich, 1816.