Nathanael Matthaeus von Wolf facts for kids
Nathanael Matthaeus von Wolf (born January 28, 1724, died December 15, 1784) was a very smart person from Germany. He was a botanist (someone who studies plants), a physician (a doctor), and an astronomer (someone who studies stars and planets). He lived a long time ago, in the 1700s.
Early Life and Education
Wolf was born in a town called Chojnice, which was part of Royal Prussia in the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland at the time. When he was older, he went to the University of Erfurt to study medicine. He worked hard and earned his doctor's degree in 1748.
A Life of Healing
After becoming a doctor, Wolf became the personal physician for an important leader named Teodor Kazimierz Czartoryski. This leader was a Prince-bishop of Poznań, which meant he was both a prince and a church leader. Wolf worked for him until 1768.
The next year, Wolf opened his own doctor's office in a town called Tczew. Later, in 1772, he moved his practice to Gdańsk. This move happened after a big change in Poland called the First Partition of Poland. Gdańsk remained part of Poland, and Wolf spent most of his adult life there. In 1777, he was chosen to be a member of the Royal Society, which is a very old and respected group of scientists.
Contributions to Science
Besides being a doctor, Wolf was also very interested in the stars. As an astronomer, he taught at the Corps of Cadets in Warsaw. This was a school for young people training to be officers.
Wolf was also a member of the Danzig Research Society (Naturforschende Gesellschaft Danzig). This was a group of scientists who studied different things. He gave his scientific collections to this society. He also strongly supported building a planetarium, which is a special theater that shows what the night sky looks like.
