Hermann von Ihering facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hermann von Ihering
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Hermann von Ihering
|
|
| Born |
Hermann Friedrich Albrecht von Ihering
9 October 1850 |
| Died | 24 February 1930 (aged 79) |
| Nationality | German |
| Known for | Zoology |
Hermann Friedrich Albert von Ihering (born October 9, 1850 – died February 24, 1930) was an important scientist who studied animals, known as a zoologist. He was German but later became a Brazilian citizen. He was the oldest son of Rudolf von Jhering, a famous lawyer.
Contents
Hermann von Ihering's Life Story
Hermann Friedrich Albert von Ihering was born in 1850 in Kiel, Germany. He was the oldest son of Rudolf von Jhering.
His Education and Early Work
Hermann studied medicine at several universities, including Giessen, Leipzig, Berlin, and Göttingen. He was advised by Rudolf Leuckart, another famous zoologist.
Hermann worked as an assistant at the zoological institute in Göttingen. He earned his doctorate degree there. His special project was about the shape of skulls. After finishing his studies, he taught zoology at the Erlangen and Leipzig universities.
Moving to Brazil
In 1880, Hermann married Anna Maria Clara Wolff. His family did not approve of the marriage. Because of this, he decided to move to Brazil soon after.
He first found work at the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro. However, he found the climate in Rio de Janeiro too hot. He then moved to Taquara, a city in Rio Grande do Sul. There, he began collecting animal specimens. He sent these specimens to museums in Germany and to the British Museum.
While in Brazil, Hermann and Anna had two children, Clara and Rodolpho. Later, they had two more children, Wilhelm and Ida. Sadly, Ida died when she was a child.
Life as a Naturalist in Brazil
In 1883, Hermann was chosen to be a traveling naturalist for the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro. He lived in many cities near the Lagoa dos Patos, a large lagoon. He even bought an island at the delta of the Camaquã River. People started calling it Ilha do Doutor, which means "Doctor's Island." He lived there for several years. In 1885, he officially became a Brazilian citizen.
Between 1893 and 1894, Hermann helped start the Museu Paulista in São Paulo. He became its first director, leading the museum for many years.
Family and Later Challenges
In 1901, his son Rodolpho went to Europe to study. Sadly, Hermann's other son, Wilhelm, died that same year at only 16 years old. His wife Anna was very sad about this and also passed away later that year. Rodolpho then came back to Brazil to help his father.
In 1907, Hermann traveled to Europe. There, he met his first love, Meta Buff, again. They got married that same year.
During World War I, Hermann faced some problems. He was accused of favoring certain people and of selling a stone to the state that was supposed to be a donation to the Museu Paulista. Because of these accusations, he had to leave his job as the museum director in 1916.
He then moved back to southern Brazil and continued his studies in Santa Catarina. In 1918, he was offered a job teaching zoology at the University of Córdoba in Argentina. However, he chose to stay in Brazil. He wanted to organize a small museum in Florianópolis. One year after the museum opened, his pay was greatly reduced. A few months later, he was told he would not be paid at all.
Return to Europe
In 1920, Hermann von Ihering returned to Europe. He lived in Naples for a while before moving back to Germany. In 1921, he and Meta settled in Büdingen. Meta died in 1928. Hermann von Ihering passed away in 1930 in Gießen, Germany.
Things Named After Him
Scientists often name new species or places after other important scientists to honor their work. Many animals were named after Hermann von Ihering, including:
- Anisolepis iheringii Boulenger, 1885 (a type of lizard)
- Brucepattersonius iheringi (Thomas, 1896) (a rodent)
- Cetopsorhamdia iheringi Schubart & Gomes, 1959 (a catfish)
- Choeradoplana iheringi Graff, 1899 (a land worm)
- Enyalius iheringii Boulenger 1885 (another type of lizard)
- Fusconaia iheringi Wright 1898 (a freshwater mussel)
- Gastrocopta iheringi (Suter, 1900) (a snail)
- Grammostola iheringi Keyserling, 1891 (a tarantula spider)
- Myrmotherula iheringi Snethlage, 1914 (an antbird)
- Phyllomedusa iheringii Boulenger, 1885 (a frog)
- Trinomys iheringi (Thomas, 1911) (Ihering's Atlantic spiny rat)
- Unionicola iheringi (Koenike, 1890) (a water mite)
The scientific journal called Iheringia was also named after him.
See also
- Category:Taxa named by Hermann von Ihering
