Rudolf Wilczek

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Rudolf Wilczek (born November 1, 1903 in Cierpisz (today to Sędziszów Małopolski ), † May 19, 1984 in Belgium ) was a Belgian botanist of Polish descent. His botanical author's abbreviation is " R. Wilczek ". His specialties were mosses and the flora of Central Africa .

In 1924 he began his studies at the Jana Kazimierza University (today Ivan Franko University ) in Lwów and from 1925 specialized in the systematics of mosses . From 1926 he worked as an assistant at the Institute for Systematics and Plant Morphology and from 1927 at the Institute for Plant Breeding and Protection at the Agricultural Academy in Dubljany, which is part of the University of Lwów . In August 1927 he went on a study trip to Moosen in the Eastern Carpathians with his teacher Stanisław Kulczyński , and in 1931 he obtained his doctorate.

From 1927 to 1939 he and Marian Koczwara undertook studies on the plant sociology of mosses in the steppes of Podolia and along the Dniester.In 1937 he took part in a scientific expedition to Greenland , where he researched the phytosociology of the local tundra during a three-month stay . However, the records of these expeditions were destroyed in World War II.

As a non-commissioned officer in the reserve in the Polish army, Wilczek fell into German captivity with their surrender; until June 30, 1945 he was an inmate in the Murnau POW camp . After the war - back in Poland - he was sent through a study center to Brussels to the university there, where he stayed from July 1, 1945 to January 31, 1947 as a reserve officer in the Polish army; During this time he revised the entire Belgian herbarium holdings of the genus Dicranum .

Although he was to be appointed professor at the University of Wroclaw in January 1947 , he decided not to return to Poland and to remain in Belgium. At first he only gave gardening courses in the botanical garden, but unexpectedly the opportunity arose to work on the Flore du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi . For these, Wilczek wrote 29 volumes from 1948 to 1974 on families including the Casuarinaceae , Lauraceae , Capparidaceae , Papilionaceae , Malpighiaceae , Linaceae , Oxalidaceae , Celastraceae and Balsaminaceae and described 7 new genera and 205 new species . He was mostly subordinate to the Agricultural Academy in Gembloux . In addition to his floristic work, another task there was the optimization of Phaseoleae plants for the benefit of food purposes using genetic processes.

In 1968 he retired and resumed his bryological work; his main focus was on Bryaceae . He died in his home in 1984.

proof

  1. ↑ a b c d e F. Demaret: Rudolf Wilczek (1903-1984) . In: Bulletin du Jardin botanique national de Belgique / Bulletin van de National Plantentuin van België , Vol. 55, No. 1/2, 1985, pp. 3-12.

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personal data
SURNAME Wilczek, Rudolf
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Belgian botanist of Polish descent
DATE OF BIRTH November 1, 1903
PLACE OF BIRTH Cierpisz
DATE OF DEATH May 19, 1984
Place of death Belgium