Ludwig Boltzmann was born in 1844 in Vienna and was the son of a tax official. His extraordinary enthusiasm for learning and his scientific talents were already evident during his school days in Linz. After his “Matura” [A-level equivalents], he studied physics and mathematics at the University of Vienna. After his graduation in 1866, Boltzmann became an assistant to his teacher, Josef Stefan, who was Head of the Physics Institute of Vienna.
By the age of 25, Boltzmann had already achieved his full professorship for mathematical physics in Graz. In 1873 he returned to Vienna for three years and then remained in Graz for 14 years as a professor of experimental physics. During this time, Boltzmann had already become part of the world’s elite physicists.

From 1895 until his death in 1906, he was a Professor at the University of Vienna. Today, Boltzmann is regarded as a forerunner for quantum physics and the theory of evolution. He is also one of the fathers of biophysics and bioenergy. Boltzmann dealt extensively with physics-based research into evolution questions. As a passionate Darwin supporter and progressive thinker, Boltzmann developed ideas which partially anticipated the teaching of evolution as we know it today. He extended the biological evolution to include physical aspects and advocated the theory of existence even before the time of creation of life forms. Boltzmann was a staunch promoter of atomicity. Besides his great scientific persuasive power, Boltzmann fascinated his contemporaries with his unwavering search for true, positive findings in scientific research.