Gabriel Gruber

Gabriel Gruber, SJ (4 May 1740 – 7 April 1805) was an Austrian Jesuit and polymath of Slovenian descent. Aside from his classical formation for the priesthood, his interests ranged across agriculture, architecture, astronomy, engineering, hydrology, physics, chemistry and art.

Between 1773 and 1784 he was the engineer at the court of Emperor Joseph II. Having moved to Russia, where Vatican law did not apply, he was welcomed at the Court of Catherine the Great as an engineer and saw there an opportunity to resume his ministerial career among his exiled Jesuit brethren. He became the second Superior General of the Society of Jesus in Russia during the Holy See's suppression of the Society in Europe and its colonies and manifested great political skill in safeguarding the survival of the Jesuit order. Provided by Wikipedia