Alexander Eig

Alexander Eig (1894, near Minsk, Belarus - 30 July 1938, Jerusalem, Israel) was a botanist, one of the first plant researchers in Israel, head of department for Botanics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and co-founder of Jerusalem Botanical Gardens on Mount Scopus.

Life

Born in Schedrin near Minsk, he used to wander in the forests around and to join his family hunting and fishing tours, on which he used to look at plants around. On the age of 15 he immigrated to Palestine, where he became a student in "Mikveh Israel" agricultural school.

On 1925 he was invited by Otto Warburg to join the agricultural experiments station in Tel Aviv, where he worked with Michael Zohary. A year later, the unit has moved to Jerusalem, and they joined the staff of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. This year he married Itta Faktorovsky, his closed friend Elazar's sister.

On 1931 he graduated his Ph.D., and founded Jerusalem Botanical Gardens on Mount Scopus, together with Zohary and Naomi Feinbron. On 1932 he Started teaching botanics. Two of his students were the brothers Aaron and Ephraim Katzir.

On 1937 he was invited by Yitzhak Ben-Zvi to testify in the Peel Commission, on the question whether the country could sustain a large population. Later was asked to prepare a map that will serve the arguments of the Zionist side in the international arena.

However, on 1938 he died of cancer,at the age of less than 44 years. He was buried in the cemetery on Mount of Olives and on his gravestone was written "The creator of plant Science in Israel." Was eulogized by mourning Moshe Sharett, Hugo Bergmann, Judah Leon Magnes and Yitzhak Ben-Zvi.

Plants

• Bellevalia eigii
• Salvia eigii
• Eigia longistyla
• Ornithogalum neurostegium subsp. eigii (Feinbrun) Feinbrun

References

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