Charles Konig
Encyclopedia
Charles Dietrich Eberhard Konig or Karl Dietrich Eberhard König (1774 – September 6, 1851) was a German
naturalist
.
and educated at Göttingen. He came to England
at the end of 1800 to organize the collections of Queen Charlotte. On the completion of this work he became assistant to Dryander
, librarian to Joseph Banks
. In 1807, he succeeded George Shaw
as assistant keeper of the department of natural history in the British Museum
. On the death of his superior in 1813, he took his place as keeper.
He later became keeper of geology and mineralogy, and turned his attention to minerals and fossils, arranging the recently acquired collection of Mr. Greville. He retained the post until his sudden death in London
in 1851.
Konig anglicized his name upon his appointment as assistant keeper in 1807. In 1837, following a House of Commons
Select Committee report on the British Museum, the Department of Natural History was divided into three branches, with Konig being put in charge of the Mineralogical and Geological branch.
Besides writing various papers for journals, Konig was associated with John Sims in the issue of Annals of Botany
from 1805 to 1807. He described many fossil
s in the British Museum in a classic work entitled Icones fossilium sectiles (1820-1825).
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
.
Biography
He was born in BrunswickBraunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
and educated at Göttingen. He came to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at the end of 1800 to organize the collections of Queen Charlotte. On the completion of this work he became assistant to Dryander
Jonas Carlsson Dryander
Jonas Carlsson Dryander was a Swedish botanist.Dryander was born in Gothenburg. He was a pupil of Carolus Linnaeus at Uppsala University. He arrived in London on 10 July 1777...
, librarian to Joseph Banks
Joseph Banks
Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, GCB, PRS was an English naturalist, botanist and patron of the natural sciences. He took part in Captain James Cook's first great voyage . Banks is credited with the introduction to the Western world of eucalyptus, acacia, mimosa and the genus named after him,...
. In 1807, he succeeded George Shaw
George Shaw
George Shaw was an English botanist and zoologist.Shaw was born at Bierton, Buckinghamshire and was educated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, receiving his M.A. in 1772. He took up the profession of medical practitioner. In 1786 he became the assistant lecturer in botany at Oxford University...
as assistant keeper of the department of natural history in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
. On the death of his superior in 1813, he took his place as keeper.
He later became keeper of geology and mineralogy, and turned his attention to minerals and fossils, arranging the recently acquired collection of Mr. Greville. He retained the post until his sudden death in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1851.
Konig anglicized his name upon his appointment as assistant keeper in 1807. In 1837, following a House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
Select Committee report on the British Museum, the Department of Natural History was divided into three branches, with Konig being put in charge of the Mineralogical and Geological branch.
Besides writing various papers for journals, Konig was associated with John Sims in the issue of Annals of Botany
Annals of Botany
Annals of Botany is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal, founded in 1887, that publishes research articles, brief communications, and reviews in all areas of botany. The journal is supported and managed by Annals of Botany Company, a non-profit educational charity, and published through...
from 1805 to 1807. He described many fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s in the British Museum in a classic work entitled Icones fossilium sectiles (1820-1825).