Max was the fourth child of his father's marriage to Emma.
Johann von Planck was descended from a long line of lawyers, clergyman, and public servants and was himself Professor of Civil Law at the University of Kiel. Young Max began school in Kiel, but moved at the age of nine with his family to Münich. There he attended the Königliche Maximillian Gymnasium until his graduation in 1874.
As a child, Planck demonstrated both talent in and enthusiasm for a variety of fields, ranging from mathematics and science to music. He was accomplished at both piano and organ and gave some thought to a career in music. He apparently abandoned that idea, however, when a professional musician told him that he did not seem to have the commitment needed for that field. Planck did, however, maintain a life-long interest in music and its mathematical foundations. Later in life, he held private concerts in his home which featured eminent musicians, such as Joseph Joachim and Maria Scherer, as well as fellow scientists, including Albert Einstein, often with Planck himself at the piano.
Planck entered the University of Münich in 1874 with plans to major in mathematics. He soon changed his mind, however, when he realized that he was more interested in practical problems of the natural world than in the abstract concepts of pure mathematics.
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