Hugo Gunckel Lüer facts for kids
Hugo Gunckel Lüer (born August 10, 1901 – died July 17, 1997) was a Chilean expert in many fields. He was a pharmacist, a botanist (someone who studies plants), and a university professor. He spent his life learning about and teaching others about the amazing world of plants.
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His Early Life and Love for Plants
Hugo Gunckel was born in Valdivia, Chile. He went to school there, first at the Colegio Alemán and then at the Lyceum for Men. In 1921, he started studying at the University of Concepción, where he earned a degree in pharmacy.
While studying, he worked as a botany assistant. This job helped him discover his deep interest in nature. His parents also encouraged him to explore. They often took him on trips where he could observe plants and how they grew. Soon, studying plants became his biggest passion.
Working as a Pharmacist and Botanist
After graduating, Hugo worked as a pharmacist in Talca. Later, he returned to Valdivia to work for the railroad. This job was eventually stopped.
He then moved to Corral and opened his own pharmacy. The area around Corral was full of forests, ferns, and grasses. This beautiful, wild landscape inspired him to collect many different plant samples.
In 1940, Hugo moved to Temuco. There, he became the director of the Museo Araucano. This museum is now known as the Museo Regional de la Araucanía. He also became the first president of the College of Pharmacists in Temuco in 1943. In 1946, he led the first School of Forestry Engineers in Chile.
Even with all these important roles, he kept studying and writing. He wrote articles for local newspapers and scientific magazines. He helped start the Academia de Ciencias Naturales. He was its president for 12 years. He also edited a university magazine with Hans Niemeyer.
Teaching and Later Life
On May 1, 1950, Hugo Gunckel moved to Santiago. He became a botany professor at the School of Pharmacy. His main job was to create a collection of dried plant samples (called an herbarium). At the same time, he taught classes at the Instituto Pedagógico de la Universidad de Chile. He continued teaching there until he retired in 1968.
His work on botany and history was published in the university's journal. He became an honored member of the Chilean Society of History and Geography. He also joined the Chilean Academy of Language.
Beyond his scientific work, Hugo Gunckel was a community leader. He helped start the Third Company of Firefighters in Corral. He also served as the mayor of Corral for a time.
Hugo Gunckel passed away in Santiago, Chile, when he was 96 years old.
His Writings
Hugo Gunckel wrote many important books and articles about plants. His work helped people learn more about the plants of Chile.
- Helechos de Chile (Ferns of Chile) – This book was 245 pages long and focused on Chilean ferns.
- Bibliografía Moliniana (Moliniana Bibliography) – This book was 166 pages long.
He also wrote many articles, including:
- (1948) "La floración de la quila y el coligüe en la Araucanía." (The flowering of quila and coligüe in Araucanía.)
- (1953) "Plantas chilenas estudiadas por Linneo." (Chilean plants studied by Linnaeus.)
- (1959) "Nombres indígenas relacionados con la flora chilena." (Indigenous names related to Chilean flora.)
- (1967) "Fitonimia atacameña, especialmente cunza." (Atacama plant names, especially Cunza.)
- (1972) "Plantas chilenas descritas como nuevos por Juan Ignacio Molina y sus concordancias con la nomenclatura botánica actual." (Chilean plants described as new by Juan Ignacio Molina and their agreement with current botanical names.)
- (1979) "Vocablos populares técnicos relacionados con la industria del alerce" (Popular technical words related to the alerce industry.)
- (1980) "Plantas magicas mapuche." (Mapuche magical plants.)
- (with C. Munizaga, 1958) "Notas etnobotánicas del pueblo atacameño de Socaire, o etnobotánica de Socaire." (Ethnobotanical notes on the Atacama people of Socaire, or ethnobotany of Socaire.)
- (1982). "Significado de nombres genéricos de algunas plantas de la flora chilena." (Meaning of generic names of some plants in the Chilean flora.)
See also
In Spanish: Hugo Gunckel para niños
