After his studies in astronomy at the University of Vienna between 1897 and 1901, he worked at the Vienna Observatory, where he made his discoveries of three asteroids. Rheden was the son-in-law of astronomer Johann Palisa, a prolific discoverer of 122 minor planets, with whom he worked at the observatory. The asteroid 710 Gertrud was named after his daughter Gertrud Rheden and granddaughter of the discoverer, Johann Palisa.[2] In 1946 he died at the age of 73 in Lienz, Tyrol.