August Karl Herold born August 7, 1902 in Neckarsulm

Neckarsulm

Neckarsulm is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, near Stuttgart, and part of the district Heilbronn. As of 2004, Neckarsulm had 27,296 inhabitants....

, died there January 8, 1973, was a German grape

Grape

A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...

 breeder.

Herold graduated from the Agricultural College Hohenheim

University of Hohenheim

The University of Hohenheim is a university in Stuttgart, Germany. Founded in 1818 it is Stuttgart's oldest university and one of Germany's leading universities both in agricultural sciences and economics.-History:...

 in 1925, worked at a grape breeding station in Naumburg

Naumburg

Naumburg is a town in Germany, on the Saale River. It is in the district Burgenlandkreis in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. It is approximately southwest of Leipzig, south-southwest of Halle, and north-northeast of Jena....

 1926-1928 and in 1928 became the head of a grape breeding station in Weinsberg

Weinsberg

Weinsberg is a town in the north of the German state Baden-Württemberg. It was founded ca. 1200 and is situated in the Heilbronn district. The town has about 11,800 inhabitants. It is noted for its wine...

, which during his early years was called Württembergischen Anstalt für Rebenzüchtung und Rebenpfropfung and from 1947 Staatliche Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt für Wein- und Obstbau (LVWO). During the years 1941-1948 Herold was first called up for military service during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 and then ended up as a prisoner of war

Prisoner of war

A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...

 of the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

. After coming home in 1948, he resumed his duties in Weinsberg and stayed on this post until retirement at the end of 1964.

Herold's main contributions to viticulture

Viticulture

Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...

 was a scientifically based grape breeding programme in Weinsberg, which produced several much-cultivated grape varieties. Among the varieties bred by him are Helfensteiner

Helfensteiner

Helfensteiner is a dark-skinned German wine grape crossing of the species Vitis vinifera, that was created in 1931 with the crossing of Frühburgunder and Trollinger...

, Heroldrebe

Heroldrebe

Heroldrebe is a red German wine grape variety produced by crossing Blauer Portugieser and Lemberger. It was created by August Herold at the grape breeding institute in Weinsberg in the Württemberg region in 1929, and was named after him....

 (named after him), Dornfelder

Dornfelder

Dornfelder is a dark-skinned variety of grape of German origin used for red wine. It was created by August Herold at the grape breeding institute in Weinsberg in the Württemberg region in 1955. Herold crossed the grape varieties Helfensteiner and Heroldrebe, the latter which bears his name, to...

 and Kerner

Kerner (grape)

The Kerner grape is an aromatic white grape variety. It was bred in 1929 by August Herold by crossing Trollinger and Riesling. Herold was working at a plant breeding station in Lauffen in the Württemberg region of Germany. This station belonged to a state breeding institute headquartered in...

.