Johann Centurius Hoffmannsegg
Encyclopedia
Johann Centurius Hoffmann Graf von Hoffmannsegg (August 23, 1766 – December 13, 1849) was a German
botanist, entomologist and ornithologist.
Hoffmannsegg was born at Rammenau
and studied at Leipzig
and Göttingen
. He travelled through Europe acquiring vast collections of plants and animal
s. He visited Hungary
, Austria
and Italy
in 1795–1796 and Portugal
from 1797 to 1801. He sent his collections to Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger
, then in Brunswick
, so that he could study them.
Hoffmannsegg worked in Berlin
from 1804 to 1816, and was elected a member of the Academy of Science of the city in 1815. He was the founder of the zoological museum of Berlin in 1809. Hoffmannsegg proposed Illiger for the position of curator
, and all the Hoffmannsegg's collections were then transferred to Berlin
.
The legume genus Hoffmannseggia
is named for him.
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...
botanist, entomologist and ornithologist.
Hoffmannsegg was born at Rammenau
Rammenau
Rammenau is a municipality in the district of Bautzen, in Saxony, Germany....
and studied at Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
and Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
. He travelled through Europe acquiring vast collections of plants and animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s. He visited Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 1795–1796 and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
from 1797 to 1801. He sent his collections to Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger
Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger
Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger was a German entomologist and zoologist.Illiger was the son of a merchant in Brunswick. He studied under the entomologist Johann Hellwig, and later worked on the zoological collections of Johann Centurius Hoffmannsegg...
, then in Brunswick
Braunschweig
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....
, so that he could study them.
Hoffmannsegg worked in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
from 1804 to 1816, and was elected a member of the Academy of Science of the city in 1815. He was the founder of the zoological museum of Berlin in 1809. Hoffmannsegg proposed Illiger for the position of curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
, and all the Hoffmannsegg's collections were then transferred to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
The legume genus Hoffmannseggia
Hoffmannseggia
Hoffmannseggia is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae, known generally as rushpeas. These are pod-bearing herbs and subshrubs native to the Americas and southern Africa....
is named for him.