# Max Planck

_German theoretical physicist (1858–1947)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/max-planck
Last updated: 2026-10-23

> Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck was a German theoretical physicist. Planck made many contributions to theoretical physics, primarily in his role as the originator of quantum theory and one of the founders of modern physics, which revolutionized understanding of atomic and subatomic processes. He is known for the Planck constant, , which is of foundational importance for quantum physics, and which he used to derive a set of units, now called Planck units, expressed in terms of physical constants. The Planck relation, E= ν, states that the energy of a photon is proportional to its frequency.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 23 April 1858 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9021#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Kiel ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9021#P19))
- **Died:** 4 October 1947 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9021#P570))
- **Place of death:** Göttingen ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9021#P20))
- **Citizenship:** German Reich ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9021#P27))
- **Occupation:** theoretical physicist; university teacher; physicist; philosopher ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9021#P106))
- **Political party:** German People's Party ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9021#P102))
- **Education:** LMU Munich; Frederick William University Berlin ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9021#P69))
- **Spouse:** Marie Merck ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9021#P26))
- **Positions held:** Geheimrat (since 1908); professor (since 1885) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9021#P39))
- **Awards:** Nobel Prize in Physics; Adlerschild des Deutschen Reiches; Max Planck Medal; Goethe Prize of the City of Frankfurt; Copley Medal; Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order; Lorentz Medal; Harnack medal; Helmholtz Medal; Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art; Liebig Medal; Franklin Medal; honorary doctor of the University of Athens; honorary doctorate from the University of Cambridge; honorary doctorate of the University of Glasgow ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9021#P166))

## Questions

**When was Max Planck born?**  
Max Planck was born on 23 April 1858 in Kiel.

**What positions has Max Planck held?**  
Positions held by Max Planck include: Geheimrat (since 1908); professor (since 1885).

**Where did Max Planck study?**  
Max Planck was educated at LMU Munich, Frederick William University Berlin.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Max Planck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Planck) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q9021](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9021) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Max Planck by Hugo Erfurth 1938cr - restoration1.jpg by Hugo Erfurth (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Max_Planck_by_Hugo_Erfurth_1938cr_-_restoration1.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Max Planck, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Max Planck by Hugo Erfurth 1938cr - restoration1.jpg — Hugo Erfurth, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Max Planck". DigiNepal. Last updated 23 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/max-planck. Retrieved 4 November 2026.