Johann Friedrich Naumann

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Johann Friedrich Naumann

Johann Friedrich Naumann (born February 14, 1780 in Ziebigk ; † August 15, 1857 there ) was a German ornithologist . He is considered to be the founder of ornithology in Central Europe .

Life

Naumann's grave in the old cemetery in Prosigk

Johann Friedrich was born as the first of three sons of the farmer Johann Andreas Naumann on February 14, 1780 in the village of Ziebigk about 10 km southeast of Köthen . At the age of nine he was already excellent at drawing birds. At the age of ten he left school in Ziebigk and went to school in Dessau . However, in the same year (or not until 1794) he had to drop out of school to help his father in agriculture. There he also had the opportunity to learn about the birds in the area.

In 1815 he published his first work with Taxidermy . In this he explained his method of stuffing birds. He later made most of the copperplate engravings for the natural history of birds in Germany by his father Johann Andreas Naumann. This was actually his own work, but appeared under his name in honor of his father. His brother Carl Andreas Naumann supported his research by catching and shooting the birds.

During his further work he was able to accumulate a total of 1,280 preparations. In 1845, a meeting of ornithologists took place in Köthen, which was one of the preliminary meetings to the meeting of 1850 at which the German Ornithological Society was founded in Leipzig , with JF Naumann as one of the founders. The first official journal of the society was the Rhea (only two issues) and then the Naumannia . In 1857 Naumann was inhibited in his work by an eye disease. He died on August 15, 1857 and was buried in Prosigk next to his wife Marie Juliane Naumann.

Naumann endeavored in his work to portray nature as vividly as possible. He is supposed to have said: "We must endeavor to give the skins to be stuffed the appearance as if the living animal body was still in them" .

museum

In 1821 Naumann sold his bird collection to Duke Ferdinand von Anhalt-Köthen for 2,000 thalers and was appointed curator at the same time. It was housed in the newly built "Ferdinandsbau" of Köthen Castle , where it has been open to the public since 1835. According to the company, it is the only ornithology history museum in the world.

Honors

Monument in Koethen Castle Park
  • In 1839 JF Naumann received the Dr. hc
  • In 1880 a monument with his bust and that of his father and brother was erected in the Köthen palace garden. It was destroyed in World War II but replaced by a new memorial.
  • On September 21, 1903 the ornithological association Johann Friedrich Naumann was founded.
  • In 1980 a postage stamp ( MICHEL no. DDR 2494) and a medal were issued in honor of Johann Friedrich Naumann in the GDR .

Works

  • Taxidermy, or the teaching of the simplest and most practical way of stuffing and keeping animals of all classes for cabinets. Hemmerde & Schwetschke, Halle 1815
  • Johann Andreas Naumann u. Johann Friedrich Naumann: Natural history of the birds in Germany. Designed based on my own experience. Fleischer, Leipzig 1822–1866, volumes 1–13 (basic work on modern ornithology)
  • The natural history of the birds of Central Europe . Ed. 1897–1905
  • The birds of Central Europe - a selection, ed. and with an essay by Arnulf Conradi , Frankfurt am Main 2009, ISBN 978-3-8218-6223-1 ( Die Other Bibliothek series , special volume).

literature

Web links

Commons : Pictures from "Natural history of birds in Central Europe, 1905"  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files
Commons : Johann Friedrich Naumann  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Naumann, Johann Friedrich
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Naumann, Friedrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German founder of ornithology in Central Europe
DATE OF BIRTH February 14, 1780
PLACE OF BIRTH Ziebigk
DATE OF DEATH August 15, 1857
Place of death Ziebigk