Wilhelm von Bezold

Abstract

Wilhelm von Bezold, the well‐known director of the Prussian Meteorological Institute, was born at Munich on June 21, 1837, his father holding the rank of royal privy councilor in the Bavarian cabinet of foreign affairs. His ancestors are known to have resided in the imperial city of Rotenburg on the upper Tauber (Bavaria) as early as the 15th century. Since 1600 we find them enumerated among the patrician families of that commonwealth, in the public affairs of which they ever took an active part.He received his early education at the “Gymnasium” of his native city. After graduation he devoted himself at the universities of Munich and Göttingen, to the study of mathematical physics, for which he had early in life shown preference. Taking his doctor's degree at Göttingen he settled down at Munich as privatdocent of physics. In 1868 he accepted a call as professor extraordinarius at the technological institute in Munich. About this time, too, he married Marie Hörmann von Hörbach, who was recently severed from him by death.