Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper
Encyclopedia
Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper (2 June 1742 – 27 July 1810) was a German
entomologist. Born in Wunsiedel
in Bavaria, he was professor of zoology at Erlangen
university.
at an early age by their father Friedrich Lorenz Esper, an amateur botanist. Encouraged to abandon his theology
course by his professor of botany Casimir Christoph Schmidel (1718–1792) Eugen Esper, instead, took instruction in natural history.
He obtained his doctorate of philosophy at the university of Erlangen in 1781 with a thesis entitled De varietatibus specierum in naturale productis. The following year, he started to teach at the university initially as extraordinary professor, a poorly paid position, then in 1797 as the professor of philosophy
. He directed the department of natural history in Erlangen from 1805. Thanks to him the university collections of mineral
s, bird
s, plant
s, shells and insect
s grew very rapidly.
During his leisure hours Esper devoted himself to the study of nature and the preparation of manuscripts relating to natural history. He was the author of a series of booklets entitled Die Schmetterlinge in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen which were published between 1776 and1807. These were richly illustrated; minerals, birds, plants, shells and insects being presented on 438 hand-coloured plates. A second work was published in 1829-1830 with Toussaint de Charpentier
(1779–1847). This is an important work on the butterflies of Germany, following the Linnean System. Esper was also the very first person to research palaeopathology.
The review of entomology, Esperiana, Buchreihe zur Entomology, created in 1990, commemorates his name and work.
Esper's collection is in the Zoologisches Staatssammling München http://www.zsm.mwn.de/lep/e/teilsammlg.htm
Translated from French Wikipedia on Esper
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
entomologist. Born in Wunsiedel
Wunsiedel
Wunsiedel is the county town of the Upper Franconian district of Wunsiedel in northeast Bavaria, Germany. The town became well known for its annual Luisenburg Festival and the Rudolf Hess Memorial March held by the Neo-Nazis here until 2005.- Geography :...
in Bavaria, he was professor of zoology at Erlangen
Erlangen
Erlangen is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located at the confluence of the river Regnitz and its large tributary, the Untere Schwabach.Erlangen has more than 100,000 inhabitants....
university.
Life and work
Eugen and his brother Friedrich were introduced to natural historyNatural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
at an early age by their father Friedrich Lorenz Esper, an amateur botanist. Encouraged to abandon his theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
course by his professor of botany Casimir Christoph Schmidel (1718–1792) Eugen Esper, instead, took instruction in natural history.
He obtained his doctorate of philosophy at the university of Erlangen in 1781 with a thesis entitled De varietatibus specierum in naturale productis. The following year, he started to teach at the university initially as extraordinary professor, a poorly paid position, then in 1797 as the professor of philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. He directed the department of natural history in Erlangen from 1805. Thanks to him the university collections of mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
s, bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s, plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s, shells and insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s grew very rapidly.
During his leisure hours Esper devoted himself to the study of nature and the preparation of manuscripts relating to natural history. He was the author of a series of booklets entitled Die Schmetterlinge in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen which were published between 1776 and1807. These were richly illustrated; minerals, birds, plants, shells and insects being presented on 438 hand-coloured plates. A second work was published in 1829-1830 with Toussaint de Charpentier
Toussaint de Charpentier
Toussaint de Charpentier was a German geologist and entomologist.He was the author of Libellulinae europaeae descriptae e depictae .-Biography:...
(1779–1847). This is an important work on the butterflies of Germany, following the Linnean System. Esper was also the very first person to research palaeopathology.
The review of entomology, Esperiana, Buchreihe zur Entomology, created in 1990, commemorates his name and work.
Esper's collection is in the Zoologisches Staatssammling München http://www.zsm.mwn.de/lep/e/teilsammlg.htm
Translated from French Wikipedia on Esper