Joseph Baader

Joseph Baader (born 30 September 1763 in Munich, died 20 November 1835 in Munich) was a German engineer and physician. He is considered to have been one of the most important engineering designers of his time. He is also considered to be one of the pioneers of the railway in Bavaria. Joseph Baader was a brother of Franz Xaver von Baader.

Early life

Joseph Baader's parents were Franz Josef Baader (1733-1794) and his wife Maria Dorothea Rosalia (1742-1829). His father was the personal physician of Joseph Clemens of Bavaria. His grandfather was Johann Adam Schöpf (1702-1772), a well-known German Baroque painter.

Career

Baader studied medicine, mathematics, mechanical engineering and mining. From 1786 to 1794, he studied in England. In 1796 Baader became a full member of the Philosophical Class of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences. In 1798, he became director of mining and mechanical engineering in Bavaria. His theory of suction published in 1797 attracted the attention of the Elector Max IV Joseph of Bavaria, who in 1802 commissioned Baader with the creation of new fountains for the Nymphenburg Palace Park. In 1803 he built a cast-iron pump in Nymphenburg par (Munich) that operated the park-side fountain. In 1808, he built another cast-iron pump in "Johannisbrunnhaus", which drove the large fountain in front of the castle. These cast-iron pumps are considered the oldest still serviceable machines in Europe.