Henri Louis Habert de Montmor

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Henri Louis Habert de Montmor (* around 1600 in Paris ; † January 21, 1679 there ) was a French scholar, administrative lawyer and patron of science, founder of an academy named after him in Paris.

Henri Louis Habert de Montmor, pastel drawing by Claude Mellan

Montmor comes from a wealthy aristocratic family who held high administrative posts. His father was extraordinary treasurer of the war chest and savings bank. Nothing is known about university studies (and it was not common among members of the nobility). At the age of 25, he bought the post of Conseiller of the Parliament of Paris with his father's money and, in 1632, that of Maître des requêtes . In 1634 he became a member of the Académie française .

The first meetings of scientists took place in his city apartment (today's Rue du Temple) in 1635, the actual academy probably began from around 1654, regular weekly meetings of his academy have been documented since 1657. In his academy he made his collection of instruments and his extensive library available to scientists. It is often regarded as the forerunner of the Académie des Sciences founded by the king in 1666 . Visitors included Henry Oldenbourg , Christian Huygens , Gilles Personne de Roberval , Samuel de Sorbière (who wrote the Academy's articles), Pierre Daniel Huet , Gérard Desargues , Frenicle de Bessy , Guy Patin , Claude Clerselier , Pierre de Carcavi , Jean Chapelain , Ismael Boulliau , Adrien Auzout , Jacques Rohault (experiments on magnetism), the physician Jean Pecquet , Melchisédech Thévenot , La Poterie, Pierre Petit . Experiments were demonstrated and scientific lectures were given: for example, Chaplain reported on Huygens pendulum clock and his discovery of Saturn's rings and moons.

Within the academy, however, a dispute soon arose between supporters of Aristotle, Gassendi and Descartes, as well as those members who could only consider philosophical considerations, and representatives of the experiment. Roberval, who openly attacked Montmor and denied him intellectual abilities, was one of the militant members who endangered the cohesion of the academy. In 1663 the Academy temporarily moved to the house of Charles d´Escoubleau, Marquis de Sourdis et d´Alluyes, from whom members like Sorbière (the academy's secretary) expected better protection from the king. But they were disappointed and the rough treatment they received there made them return to Montmor ruefully. After that, efforts were intensified to obtain royal protection for an academy through Colbert and others, which ultimately led to the establishment of the Académie des sciences in 1666 .

Montmor wrote Latin poems, so De rerum naturae on the Cartesian philosophy of nature. As a follower of Cartesianism , he offered his country house to René Descartes in the 1640s, but the latter refused. From 1653, Pierre Gassendi lived in Montmor's town house, where he wrote a biography of Tycho Brahe , which he dedicated to Montmor. When Gassendi died in 1655, he bequeathed his books and a telescope from Galileo Galilei to Montmor . Montmor carried out the will and had Gassendi's writings printed in Lyon in 1658. Also Marin Mersenne devoted Monmor a book, the Harmony universal music theory.

Montmor was married to Henriette-Marie de Buade, the sister of Louis de Buade , and was the cousin of Philippe Habert and Germain Habert . After a bankruptcy, Montmor and his son had to sell their offices. He did not recover from this blow and died soon afterwards.

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personal data
SURNAME Montmor, Henri Louis Habert de
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French nobleman, patron, author
DATE OF BIRTH around 1600
PLACE OF BIRTH Paris
DATE OF DEATH January 21, 1679
Place of death Paris