Carl August Dohrn

Carl August Dohrn (* June 27, 1806 in Stettin, † May 10, 1892 ) was a German entomologist.

Life

Dohrn was the son of businessman and co-founder of the Pomeranian province sugar mill Heinrich Dohrn and his wife Johanna Hüttern. 1821 Dohrn began to study the age of 15 at the Humboldt University in Berlin Jura. After the first few semesters he dropped out of this study and graduated with business friends of his father, a business education.

After successful completion of his doctrine Dohrn undertook in 1831 an almost six -year journey which took him through Europe, North Africa and South America. Interrupted this was due to longer internships for sugar producers in Algeria and Brazil. Dohrn in 1837 returned back to Germany and settled in his native city. In the same year he married Adelheid Dietrich in Berlin, with whom he had a daughter and three sons, Henry (1838-1913), William (* 1839) and Felix Anton (1840 * ).

The first years home Dohrn dealt with various translations and published at this time his arrangements of Spanish dramas (4 volumes) and a collection of Swedish folk songs ( 3 volumes) He also expanded his collection of beetles whose foundation he had laid on his world tour. 1837/38 Dohrn founded in his hometown one Entomological Club; the first and for many years the only of its kind in Germany.

From 1843 Dohrn entrusted with the leadership of this organization and as such, he was instrumental in the publication of Linnaea entomologica ( 16 volumes ). As President of the Entomological Society Dohrn also served 1843-1887 as editor of the periodical Entomological newspaper.

As his father Henry died in 1852, Dohrn took over the management of the Pomeranian province sugar mill as his successor. He held until 1872 this office. The regular of his father's house music evenings used further Dohrn, to which fellow musicians was invited again and again; among others the composer Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy was several times present.

Dohrn's private book collection grew over the years to a very significant entomological library and his collection of beetles counted with about 40,000 species to one of the most important in Europe. Both were still alive Dohrns as a gift to the museum in Stettin, where they were but almost completely destroyed during the Second World War.

1859-1861 represented Dohrn his native city Stettin in the Prussian House of Representatives in Berlin.

For his scientific achievements Dohrn in 1862 from the University of Konigsberg, entitled hc honored. 1872 Dohrn put down almost all of his offices and retired into private life. In 1882 he was elected a member of the Leopoldina. He died at the age of almost 86 years on May 10, 1892 in Szczecin.

A grandson of his daughter and thus his great-grandson was the conductor and composer Wilhelm Furtwängler.