Albrecht Conrad Thaer

Albrecht Conrad Thaer (circa 1875)

Albrecht Conrad Thaer (born August 6, 1828 in Lüdersdorf ( Brandenburg province ), † December 13, 1906 in Gießen ), eldest son of Albrecht Philipp Thaer and grandson of Albrecht Daniel Thaer , was a German agricultural scientist.

Live and act

He began his academic career in 1846 as a student of natural sciences at Heidelberg University . In 1847 he moved to the Agricultural Academy in Möglin and from 1848 he studied natural sciences and economics at the University of Berlin . There he was awarded a doctorate in 1851 with a dissertation in the field of zoology. phil. PhD. He then worked as a practical farmer in England and Scotland for two years. In 1853 he took over the management of two estates from his father.

From 1859 to 1861 Thaer worked as a teacher at the Agricultural Academy in Möglin. In 1860 he qualified as a professor at the Philosophical Faculty of the University of Berlin in the field of agriculture with the business-oriented publication Die Wirthschaftsdirection des Landgut .

After the death of C. Schulz-Fleeth in mid-March 1862, Minister of Culture Heinrich von Mühler decided to fill the extraordinary professorship for agriculture at Berlin University. In a letter dated August 1862, he asked Heinrich Friedrich von Itzenplitz, Minister of Agriculture, “ whether, for example, the professor of agriculture at the Philosophical Faculty, Dr. Thaer would like to qualify for the vacant position. "

At the end of September, Mühler requested the faculty report required for this replacement. With the " appointment of Dr. Thaer as associate professor ”, said the dean and professors in December 1862,“ as long as his exclusive talent for this position is not established, the faculty must not disregard the other private docents. “In addition, Thaer was able to“ only hold lectures for 1 1/2 semesters ”, which is why the faculty referred to Section 52 of the statutes, according to which“ applications for promotion from private docents before the expiry of 3 years after the habilitation are described as inadmissible. “The faculty therefore saw itself“ for the reasons set out ”unable to“ appoint Dr. Thaer to advocate professor. "

In a second report from November 1863, the philosophical faculty warned again against “ combining a theoretical with a practical activity ” in the event of Thaer's appointment as professor . The faculty feared this all the more, " as it is reported that since the recent death of his father, the management of Möglin had fallen to him ."

Since 1861 he taught as a private lecturer. At the beginning of June 1866, Minister of Culture Mühler informed Minister of Agriculture Werner von Selchow that he was “ now the previous private docent Dr. Albrecht Thaer as associate professor of agriculture at the local university with the regular salary of 400 r. appointed annually ”. In 1866, Thaer and others founded the later famous farmers' club in Berlin .

In 1871 Thaer accepted a call to the University of Giessen . Here he took over the chair of agriculture as a full professor and became director of the newly founded Agricultural Institute. He worked here as a successful teacher and researcher for 30 years until his retirement in 1901. He gave lectures on all areas of agricultural science. According to his plans, an agricultural laboratory was built and a test field set up.

Thaer developed a lively scientific and journalistic activity in Giessen. His inaugural academic speech, " Agricultural science as a university discipline ", given in 1871 is noteworthy in terms of scientific history . One of his most important publications is the book " System der Landwirthschaft ", first published in 1877 , a presentation of the entire theory of agriculture based on lectures. In several publications he dealt with agricultural history topics. His book " The agricultural weeds " found widespread use in agricultural practice .

Thaer was rector of the University of Giessen in the academic year 1884/85 and held the title of Privy Councilor from 1896 .

On October 6, 1853, Thaer married Adelaide Clementine Mannkopf (1829-1896) in Berlin. The couple had seven children, including the later Hamburg school reformer Albrecht Wilhelm Thaer .

Fonts (selection)

• About growing the lupine . Berlin 1859.
• The management of the estate . Berlin 1861; 2nd ed. 1879; 3rd edition 1896 = Thaer-Bibliothek vol. 50.
• Agriculture science as a university discipline. Academic inaugural address given on May 6, 1871 in the auditorium of the Ludwig University of Giessen . Berlin 1871.
• System of agriculture . Berlin 1877; 2nd revised edition, ibid. 1896.
• The ancient Egyptian agriculture. A contribution to the history of agriculture . Berlin 1881.
• The agricultural weeds. Colored illustration, description and eradication means of the same . Berlin 1881; 2nd edition, ibid. 1893; 3rd edition, ibid. 1905; 4. u. 5th edition published by Otto Appel ibid. 1923 a. 1927.

literature

• Albert Orth: Albrecht Thaer †. Casting 13 December 1906. Commemorative speech given on February 25, 1907 in the Berlin Association of German Agricultural Officials . In: News from the Club of Farmers in Berlin No. 503, 1907, pp. 4644-4649.
• Ph. Walther: On the 100th birthday of Privy Councilor Prof. Dr. Thaer . In: Deutsche Landwirtschaftliche Presse vol. 55, 1928, pp. 457–458 (with picture and list of publications).
• Albrecht Conrad Thaer. For his 100th birthday . In: Yearbook of the Society for the History and Literature of Agriculture Vol. 27, 1928, pp. 23-25 ​​(with picture).
• Eduard von Boguslawski: Konrad Wilhelm Albrecht Thaer (1828-1906) / Professor of Agricultural Science . In: Gießen scholars in the first half of the 20th century. Edited by Hans Georg Gundel , Peter Moraw and Volker Press. Part 1: Publications of the Historical Commission for Hesse 35. Pictures of life from Hesse, Vol. 2. Marburg 1982, pp. 955–959 (with picture).

References and comments

1. ↑ actually: Conrad Wilhelm Albrecht Thaer, gem. Eberhard Willich, Martin Willich (1583-1633) and his descendants, descendant table , Heidelberg 2004
2. ↑ GStA PK I. HA Rep. 87 B No. 20073, fol. 43 BC
3. ↑ GStA PK I. HA Rep. 76 V a Sekt. 2 Tit. IV No. 30, fol. 94 r / v, 95 r, 97 r
4. ↑ GStA PK I. HA Rep. 76 V a Sekt. 2 Tit. IV No. 30, fol. 104 BC
5. ↑ GStA PK I. HA Rep. 87 B No. 20051, fol. 179 r