Göran Wahlenberg
Encyclopedia
Georg Wahlenberg (1 October 1780 – 22 March 1851) was a Swedish
naturalist
. He was born in Kroppa
, Värmland County
.
Wahlenberg matriculated at Uppsala University
in 1792, received his doctorate in Medicine in 1806, was appointed botanices demonstrator in 1814, and professor
of medicine and botany in 1829, succeeding Carl Peter Thunberg
. He was the last holder of the undivided chair that in the previous century had been held by Linnaeus
. After his death in 1851, the chair was divided into more delimited professorships, and botany became the main duty of the borgströmian professorship, at the time held by Elias Fries.
Wahlenberg made his main work in the field of plant geography and published, among other things the Flora lapponica (1812) and other works on the plant world of northernmost Sweden. He was among the first major scholars to contribute to the plant taxonomy and geography of the High Tatras
in the Habsburg Monarchy
where he carried out research in 1813 (he also determined mountain elevations, but some were later disproved by Ludwig Greiner
). Two of the highest mountain lakes in the Tatras, now in Slovakia
, are named Vyšné Wahlenbergovo pleso (elevation 2,157 m; 7,077 ft.) and Nižné Wahlenbergovo pleso (2,053 m; 6,736 ft.) in his memory.
Wahlenberg was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
in 1808.
The harebell family of Wahlenbergia
was named after him. The standard botanical author abbreviation Wahlenb. is applied to species
he described. He died in Uppsala
.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
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...
. He was born in Kroppa
Filipstad Municipality
Filipstad Municipality is a municipality in Värmland County in west central Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Filipstad....
, Värmland County
Värmland County
Värmland County is a county or län in west central Sweden. It borders the Swedish counties of Dalarna, Örebro and Västra Götaland, as well as the Norwegian counties of Østfold, Akershus and Hedmark to the west.- Province :...
.
Wahlenberg matriculated at Uppsala University
Uppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
in 1792, received his doctorate in Medicine in 1806, was appointed botanices demonstrator in 1814, and professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of medicine and botany in 1829, succeeding Carl Peter Thunberg
Carl Peter Thunberg
Carl Peter Thunberg aka Carl Pehr Thunberg aka Carl Per Thunberg was a Swedish naturalist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus. He has been called "the father of South African botany" and the "Japanese Linnaeus"....
. He was the last holder of the undivided chair that in the previous century had been held by Linnaeus
Carolus Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
. After his death in 1851, the chair was divided into more delimited professorships, and botany became the main duty of the borgströmian professorship, at the time held by Elias Fries.
Wahlenberg made his main work in the field of plant geography and published, among other things the Flora lapponica (1812) and other works on the plant world of northernmost Sweden. He was among the first major scholars to contribute to the plant taxonomy and geography of the High Tatras
Tatra Mountains
The Tatra Mountains, Tatras or Tatra , are a mountain range which forms a natural border between Slovakia and Poland, and are the highest mountain range in the Carpathian Mountains...
in the Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
where he carried out research in 1813 (he also determined mountain elevations, but some were later disproved by Ludwig Greiner
Ludwig Greiner
Ludwig Greiner was an influential 19th-century forest and lumber industry management expert who improved the effectiveness of woodland valuation methods in the Austrian Empire and trained a whole new generation of foresters in a comprehensive approach to the management of natural resources...
). Two of the highest mountain lakes in the Tatras, now in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, are named Vyšné Wahlenbergovo pleso (elevation 2,157 m; 7,077 ft.) and Nižné Wahlenbergovo pleso (2,053 m; 6,736 ft.) in his memory.
Wahlenberg was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences or Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. The Academy is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization which acts to promote the sciences, primarily the natural sciences and mathematics.The Academy was founded on 2...
in 1808.
The harebell family of Wahlenbergia
Wahlenbergia
Wahlenbergia is a genus of between 150-270 species of flowering plants in the family Campanulaceae, with a cosmopolitan distribution except for North America; the highest species diversity is in Africa and Australasia...
was named after him. The standard botanical author abbreviation Wahlenb. is applied to species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
he described. He died in Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
.