Henri Louis Habert de Montmor

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

Montmor comes from a wealthy aristocratic family that had high administrative posts. His father was an associate treasurer of the war chest and Savings Bank. About university studies is not known ( and was with members of the nobility also not common ). At 25, he bought with the money his father the post of Adviser of the Parliament of Paris, and 1632 of the Legal Adviser. In 1634 he became a member of the Académie française.

First meeting of scientists found in his city apartment (now Rue du Temple ) in 1635 instead of the actual Academy probably began from about 1654 regular weekly meeting of his Academy are occupied since 1657. In his academy he presented his collection of instruments available to scientists and his extensive library. It is often regarded as a precursor, which was founded by the King in 1666 Académie des sciences. The visitors included Henry Oldenbourg, Christian Huygens, Gilles Personne de Roberval, Samuel de Sorbiere ( the Articles of the Academy wrote ), Pierre Daniel Huet, Gérard Desargues, Frenicle de Bessy, Guy Patin, Claude Clerselier, Pierre de Carcavi, Jean Chapelain Ishmael Boulliau, Adrien Auzout, Jacques Rohault ( experiments on magnetism ), the physician Jean Pecquet, Melchisédech Thévenot, La Poterie, Pierre Petit. There were paraded experiments and held scientific lectures: for example, Chaplain reported on Huygens pendulum clock and the discovery of Saturn's rings and moons.

But within the academy, it soon came to a dispute between followers of Aristotle, Gassendi and Descartes as well as those members who filed a philosophical view, and representatives of the experiment. The militant members who were endangering the cohesion of the Academy, was also Roberval, who attacked Montmor open and denied him the intellectual skills. 1663 joined the academy temporarily in the home of Charles d' Escoubleau, Marquis de Sourdis et d' Alluyes from which members as Sorbiere ( the secretary of the Academy ) expected a better protection of the King. But they were disappointed, and the rough treatment they received there, she let remorseful return to Montmor. After that, efforts were intensified to get over Colbert and other royal patronage for an Academy, which in 1666 led to the creation of the Académie des sciences.

Montmor wrote Latin poems, as De rerum naturae on the Cartesian natural philosophy. As followers of Cartesianism he offered René Descartes in the 1640s his country house, but he refused. From 1653 lived Pierre Gassendi in Montmors townhouse and there wrote a biography of Tycho Brahe, which he dedicated to Montmor. As Gassendi died in 1655, he bequeathed his books and Montmor a telescope by Galileo Galilei. Montmor enforced the will and let Gassendi 1658 Print in Lyon writings. Marin Mersenne also devoted Monmor a book, the universal harmony of music theory.

Montmor was married to Henriette -Marie de Buade, sister of Louis de Buade, and was cousin of Philippe Habert and Germain Habert. After a bankruptcy, had to sell their positions Montmor and his son. From this blow it never recovered and soon died.