Johann Ludwig Christ

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Johann Ludwig Christ (born October 18, 1739 in Öhringen , † November 19, 1813 in Kronberg im Taunus ) was a German pastor , fruit growing expert and entomologist .

portrait
Memorial to Johann Ludwig Christ in Kronberg
Frontispiece of Natural History, Classification and Nomenclature of Insects from Bees
Illustration from natural history, classification and nomenclature of insects from bees

Life

Christ was the son of a royal scribe in Öhringen and studied in Tübingen , Erlangen and Altdorf theology , but also ran mathematical sciences. From 1764 he worked as a preacher in Bergen , which is now part of Frankfurt , from 1767 in Rüdigheim (today Neuberg ), 1776 in Rodheim (district of Rosbach v. D. Höhe ) and finally as a Lutheran pastor from 1786 until his death in Kronberg im Taunus.

In addition to his job, he dealt intensively in theory and practice with various branches of agriculture, especially fruit growing and beekeeping. He ran extensive tree nurseries and promoted fruit planting near Kronberg through training courses for small farmers, but also wrote a large number of publications on fruit growing. His detailed works were equally well-founded, so that they were considered standard works of pomology for many years , as well as being written in a practical manner, which made them extremely popular and earned him the name "fruit pastor". He also dealt with technical aspects, so he invented a dehydrator "with circulating smoke ducts" (1790), some of which are still preserved in Kronberg along the city wall. In his insectological paper published in 1791, he described numerous new species of hymenoptera , such as the Gallic wasp . This work was partly based on observations of living insects for the first time, which science had previously only known from collection items. Christ was not only one of the most important pomologists and apologists of his time, but saw himself above all as a teacher close to the people, not least to improve the meager income of the small farmers.

It was his goal to bring fruit growing closer to the common people, which he ultimately succeeded in doing with great success. In Kronberg itself he also had opponents. When Johann Klör asked a citizen of Kronberg to visit him in 1791, he was told that his journey was in vain, since Christ could write beautiful books about fruit growing and beekeeping, but knew practically nothing about it.

In 1813, Christ died of typhus known as famine . He was buried in the old Kronberg cemetery.

A few decades after his death, the Johann Ludwig Christ memorial was erected to him in Kronberg .

Works

  • Instructions for the most useful and pleasant beekeeping for all regions, 1783 ( 4th edition 1803 in the Internet Archive ).
  • Bee catechism for the rural folk, 1784.
  • Güldenes ABC book for farmers, 1787.
  • Exact and clear description of the most excellent drying oven with circulating smoke ducts, according to customs and works of the Rhineland Maasstab, approx. 1790.
  • Natural history, classification and nomenclature of insects from bees, wasps and ants, 1791 ( digitized version ).
  • The tree gardener in the village, 1792.
  • Handbuch der Obstbaumzucht und Obstlehre, 1794 ( 3rd edition 1804 in the Internet Archive ).
  • Pomological practical hand dictionary, 1802.
  • General theoretical-practical dictionary on bee knowledge and beekeeping, 1805.
  • Complete Pomology, 1809-12.
  • General Practical Gardening Manual on Kitchen and Horticulture, 1813.

See also

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Obituary in the Kronberg church book 1813.
  2. ^ Franz Oberthür : Johann Klör, a strange farmer in Franconia: In addition to Klör's portrait , Sulzbach, 1818, p. 40 ( online )

Web links

Wikisource: Johann Ludwig Christ  - Sources and full texts
personal data
SURNAME Christ, Johann Ludwig
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German pastor, fruit growing expert and entomologist
DATE OF BIRTH October 18, 1739
PLACE OF BIRTH Öhringen
DATE OF DEATH November 19, 1813
Place of death Kronberg im Taunus