Prof. Dr. h. c. Eduard Imhof: 1895–1986

Summary

This commemorative article reviews the life and legacy of Swiss cartographer, artist, mountaineer, and ETH professor Eduard Imhof (1895–1986). Drawing on personal recollections and major career achievements, it highlights his 1930 expedition to Sichuan, where he mapped the previously little-known 7,580-metre Minya Konka region. Over forty-six years of teaching, Imhof profoundly influenced Swiss national cartography by combining scientific precision with artistic beauty. His maps, atlases, mountain reliefs, drawings, watercolours, and oil paintings reveal a lifelong commitment to representing the Earth’s forms and making them intelligible to others.