Otto Sendtner
Encyclopedia
Otto Sendtner was a German botanist and phytogeographer
born in Munich
.
He received his education at the University of Munich, where he was a student of Karl Friedrich Schimper
(1803-1867). Afterwards he served as a private secretary to a Silesian
nobleman, and during his spare time performed studies of cryptogramic flora of the Sudetenland
.
In 1841 he was appointed curator
of the Leuchtenbergsche Naturalienkabinett in Eichstätt
. Two years later he accompanied Mutius von Tommasini
(1794-1879) on a botanical excursion through Istria
and Tyrol
, and in 1847 conducted botanical research in Bosnia. During this time period he also performed phytogeographical studies in southern Bavaria. In 1854 he became an associate professor, and in 1857 was appointed to the second chair of botany, as well as first curator of the herbarium
at the University of Munich.
Sendtner was a pioneer in the field of phytogeography
, and in his research conducted important analyses involving the vertical distribution patterns of different types of vegetation.
Phytogeography
Phytogeography , also called geobotany, is the branch of biogeography that is concerned with the geographic distribution of plant species...
born in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.
He received his education at the University of Munich, where he was a student of Karl Friedrich Schimper
Karl Friedrich Schimper
Karl Friedrich Schimper was a German naturalist and poet. Born in Mannheim, he was a theology student at Heidelberg University and taught at Munich University. He pioneered research in the field of plant morphology, particularly phyllotaxis...
(1803-1867). Afterwards he served as a private secretary to a Silesian
Silesian
Silesian or Upper Silesian is considered either a dialect of the Polish language , or a separate Slavic language of the Lechitic group spoken in the region of Silesia...
nobleman, and during his spare time performed studies of cryptogramic flora of the Sudetenland
Sudetenland
Sudetenland is the German name used in English in the first half of the 20th century for the northern, southwest and western regions of Czechoslovakia inhabited mostly by ethnic Germans, specifically the border areas of Bohemia, Moravia, and those parts of Silesia being within Czechoslovakia.The...
.
In 1841 he was appointed 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...
of the Leuchtenbergsche Naturalienkabinett in Eichstätt
Eichstätt
Eichstätt is a town in the federal state of Bavaria, Germany, and capital of the District of Eichstätt. It is located along the Altmühl River, at , and had a population of 13,078 in 2002. It is home to the Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, the lone Catholic university in Germany. The...
. Two years later he accompanied Mutius von Tommasini
Mutius von Tommasini
Muzio Giuseppe Spirito de' Tommasini, sometimes referred to as Muzio Tommasini or as Mutius von Tommasini; was a botanist and politician born in Trieste under Austria-Hungary....
(1794-1879) on a botanical excursion through Istria
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
and Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
, and in 1847 conducted botanical research in Bosnia. During this time period he also performed phytogeographical studies in southern Bavaria. In 1854 he became an associate professor, and in 1857 was appointed to the second chair of botany, as well as first curator of the herbarium
Herbarium
In botany, a herbarium – sometimes known by the Anglicized term herbar – is a collection of preserved plant specimens. These specimens may be whole plants or plant parts: these will usually be in a dried form, mounted on a sheet, but depending upon the material may also be kept in...
at the University of Munich.
Sendtner was a pioneer in the field of phytogeography
Phytogeography
Phytogeography , also called geobotany, is the branch of biogeography that is concerned with the geographic distribution of plant species...
, and in his research conducted important analyses involving the vertical distribution patterns of different types of vegetation.
Selected publications
- Die Vegetationsverhältnisse Südbayerns nach den Grundsätzen der Pflanzengeographie und mit Bezugnahme auf die Landeskultur (Vegetation Conditions of Southern Bavaria in accordance with Principles of Plant Geography and with Reference to the Local Culture), 1854
- Die Vegetationsverhältnisse des Bayerischen Waldes nach den Grundsätzen der Pflanzengeographie (Vegetation Conditions of the Bavarian Forest in accordance with the Principles of Plant Geography), 1860