Max Wertheimer (April 15, 1880 – October 12, 1943) was an Austro-Hungarian psychologist

who was one of the three founders of Gestalt psychology, along with Kurt Koffka and Wolfgang
Köhler. He is known for his book, Productive Thinking, and for conceiving the phi phenomenon
as part of his work in Gestalt psychology.
Wertheimer became interested in psychology and studied under Carl Stumpf at the University of
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Berlin. Wertheimer then went on to obtain his PhD in 1904 under Oswald Külpe, at the
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University of Würzburg and then began his intellectual career teaching at the Frankfurt
University. For a short time he left Frankfurt to work at the Berlin Psychological Institute, but
returned in 1929 as a full professor. Wertheimer eventually ended up on the faculty of The New
School in New York, a position he held until his death.