Fritz Haas (zoologist)
Encyclopedia
Fritz Haas was a Jewish German zoologist born in Frankfurt-am-Main. He specialized in the field of malacology
.
From 1911 to 1936 he was a curator
of invertebrate
zoology at the Senckenberg Museum
in Frankfurt am Main. He was trained in biology
by herpetologist Oskar Boettger
and malacologist Wilhelm Kobelt
. From 1938 to 1959 Haas was curator at the department of lower invertebrates at the Field Museum of Natural History
in Chicago
.
Haas' specialty involved the study of land and freshwater snail
s, as well as research of the family Unionidae
(freshwater mussel
s). He performed extensive field research in Norway (1910), Western Europe (1914-19), southern Africa (1931-32; as part of the Hans Schomburgk
expedition) and the Americas (1937 and after).
On June 30, 1936, Haas was removed from his position at the Senckenberg Museum by the Nazis. Among his better known written works was a 1969 monograph
titled Superfamilia Unionacea. In 1969 Haas combined over 4000 names from the family Unionidae into 837 recognized species.
Malacology
Malacology is the branch of invertebrate zoology which deals with the study of the Mollusca , the second-largest phylum of animals in terms of described species after the arthropods. Mollusks include snails and slugs, clams, octopus and squid, and numerous other kinds, many of which have shells...
.
From 1911 to 1936 he was a curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
of invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
zoology at the Senckenberg Museum
Senckenberg Museum
The Naturmuseum Senckenberg in Frankfurt is the second largest museum of natural history in Germany. It is particularly popular with children, who enjoy the extensive collection of dinosaur skeletons: Senckenberg boasts the largest exhibition of large dinosaurs in Europe. One particular treasure is...
in Frankfurt am Main. He was trained in biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
by herpetologist Oskar Boettger
Oskar Boettger
Oskar Boettger was a German zoologist who was a native of Frankfurt am Main. He was an uncle of the noted malacologist Caesar Rudolf Boettger ....
and malacologist Wilhelm Kobelt
Wilhelm Kobelt
Wilhelm Kobelt was a German zoologist born in Alsfeld, Grand Duchy of Hesse. He specialized in the field of malacology.Kobelt is remembered for his work as curator of the Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt am Main....
. From 1938 to 1959 Haas was curator at the department of lower invertebrates at the Field Museum of Natural History
Field Museum of Natural History
The Field Museum of Natural History is located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It sits on Lake Shore Drive next to Lake Michigan, part of a scenic complex known as the Museum Campus Chicago...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Haas' specialty involved the study of land and freshwater snail
Snail
Snail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...
s, as well as research of the family Unionidae
Unionidae
Unionidae is a family of freshwater mussels, the largest in the order Unionoida, the bivalve mollusks sometimes known as river mussels, naiads, or simply as unionids.The range of distribution for this family is world-wide...
(freshwater mussel
Mussel
The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...
s). He performed extensive field research in Norway (1910), Western Europe (1914-19), southern Africa (1931-32; as part of the Hans Schomburgk
Hans Schomburgk
Hans Schomburgk, was a German adventurer, filmmaker and until 1912 a big-game hunter....
expedition) and the Americas (1937 and after).
On June 30, 1936, Haas was removed from his position at the Senckenberg Museum by the Nazis. Among his better known written works was a 1969 monograph
Monograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
titled Superfamilia Unionacea. In 1969 Haas combined over 4000 names from the family Unionidae into 837 recognized species.