Martin Lichtenstein

Martin Hinrich Carl Lichtenstein ( born January 10, 1780 in Hamburg, † September 2, 1857 at sea between Korsör and Kiel, buried in Kiel ) was a German physician, explorer and zoologist, son of Anton August Heinrich Lichtenstein. He was the first director of the Berlin Zoological Garden.

Life

Martin Hinrich Lichtenstein studied in Jena and Helmstedt medicine and graduated in 1802 as MD before traveling 1802-1806 to South Africa where he became the personal physician of the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope. In 1810 he founded the Zoological Museum in Berlin. He was in 1811 the first professor in the Department of Zoology at the University of Berlin, whose rector he was appointed 41 in the years 1820 /21, 1826/27 and 1840 /.

In 1813 he became director of the Zoological Museum in Berlin, was from 1813 to 1857 member of the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences, 1818-1857 Member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.

Lichtenstein was the initiator and first director of Berlin's Zoologischer Garten and persuaded in 1841, Frederick William IV of Prussia, not just a loan but also a part of the grounds of his pheasant at Berlin's Tiergarten to provide free of charge for the construction of the zoo. These written Lichtenstein in 1840, a memorandum to the king. The text of this memorandum is lost since 1877. But it is certain that Alexander von Humboldt presented King Friedrich Wilhelm IV, the foundation of the Zoological Gardens made ​​possible with a subsequently adopted " Most High Cabinet Order of January 31, 1841 ."

Lichtenstein was also musically interested and talented. A book, published in 1861 in Berlin Tonkünsterlexikon reports: ". In his earliest youth, he received the teaching of the famous CPE Bach in music, took the boy on his lap, because it was too small to comfortably reach the keys " As a member of the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin, he worked as a vocal head and thus a member of the board under the Directors Carl Friedrich Zelter, Carl Friedrich and Rungenhagen. He wrote a comprehensive Festschrift for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Sing- Akademie zu Berlin 1841. Moreover, he was inducted into the limited to 24 men Zeltersche Liedertafel on 28 April 1812. In the choral society, which was formed from the ranks of the Academy of Music, and is considered as the archetype of the German men's choir, Lichtenstein practiced from 1813 to 1818 the office of the table from master. He was, among other things with Carl Maria von Weber, with whom he is familiar terms, a close correspondence. After the death of Carl Maria von Weber in 1826 he conveyed together with the banker Wilhelm Beer for the widow Lina selling the score of Oberon ( opera ) at the Berlin music publisher Adolf Martin Schlesinger and took part in the upbringing of his son Max Maria by Weber. In 1838 he was appointed by the Prussian Ministry of the spiritual, educational and medical Alan occasions as Chairman of the newly formed musical experts association. This body had an expert function and was served at the request of the Prussian courts. In particular, the experts should decide whether a composition, inspired by an already published work, as a " peculiar " composition and thus allowed or whether they should be thus prohibited as a reprint for the purposes of the Prussian Copyright Act and.

He was also a member of the renowned outlaw Society of Berlin since 1811. In 1816 he joined the Monday Club in Berlin and was there since 1851 until his death in the 10th Senior.

Due to its merits Lichtenstein was Dr. phil. H.C. as well as the " secret medical officer " appointed. He Lichtenstein antelope ( Alcelaphus lichtensteinii ) was named in honor.

Works

• Travel in Southern Africa. From 1803 to 1806. With an introduction by True Hold Drascher. 1811th 2 volumes ( reprint: Brockhaus Antiquarium, Stuttgart 1967)
• Travel in Southern Africa. 1810
• News of Tenerife. A fragment from the diary of Mr. Dr. Lichtenstein on the journey from Amsterdam to the Cape of Good Hofnung 1802. Industry - Comptoirs, Weimar 1806
• About the Beetjuanas. As an addendum and corrigendum to Barrows excerpt from Trüters diary of a trip to the Buschwanas. From Mr. Dr. Hinrich Lichtenstein. Industry - Comptoirs, Weimar 1807
• Presentation of new or little known mammals in pictures and descriptions of 65 species on 50 colorirten stone pressure plates after the originals of the Zoological Museum of the University of Berlin. Lüderitz, Berlin 1827/34.
• History of the Sing-Akademie in Berlin. In addition to a message about the festival on the fiftieth anniversaries of your foundation and an alphabetical directory of all those who you belong as members. Publisher Trautwein, Berlin 1843.