Leopold von Schrenck
Encyclopedia
Leopold Ivanovich von Schrenck was a Russian
zoologist, geographer
and ethnographer.
born and brought up near Chotenj, south-west of St Petersburg. He received his doctorate from the University of Tartu
, and then studied natural science in Berlin
and Königsberg
. He joined the crew of the Aurora in the circumnavigation of the world.
In 1853 Schrenck was sent by the St Petersburg Academy of Sciences to explore the Amurland on board the schooner Vostok
. He reached the mouth of the Amur in September 1854 with the botanist Carl Maximowicz
. In February 1855 he visited Sakhalin
and then explored the Amur in the spring and summer. In 1856 he returned overland to Europe
, via Lake Baykal. He published his findings in his Reisen und Forschungen im Amur-Lande (1860). He was awarded the Konstantin medal by the Russian Geographical Society.
In later years Schrenck turned his attention to the study of the native peoples of Russia. On 10 November, 1879 he was appointed director of the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography in St Petersburg.
A number of animals are named after Schrenck, including
and a butterfly Apatura schrenckii:ru:%D0%9F%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B0 %D0%A8%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BA%D0%B0.
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
zoologist, geographer
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
and ethnographer.
Biography
Schrenck was a Baltic GermanBaltic German
The Baltic Germans were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today form the countries of Estonia and Latvia. The Baltic German population never made up more than 10% of the total. They formed the social, commercial, political and cultural élite in...
born and brought up near Chotenj, south-west of St Petersburg. He received his doctorate from the University of Tartu
University of Tartu
The University of Tartu is a classical university in the city of Tartu, Estonia. University of Tartu is the national university of Estonia; it is the biggest and highest-ranked university in Estonia...
, and then studied natural science in Berlin
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
and Königsberg
University of Königsberg
The University of Königsberg was the university of Königsberg in East Prussia. It was founded in 1544 as second Protestant academy by Duke Albert of Prussia, and was commonly known as the Albertina....
. He joined the crew of the Aurora in the circumnavigation of the world.
In 1853 Schrenck was sent by the St Petersburg Academy of Sciences to explore the Amurland on board the schooner Vostok
Vostok
Vostok may refer to one of the following.Spaceflight*The Soviet Vostok programme of human spaceflight.*The Vostok spacecraft used in that programme and also the basis of a reconnaissance satellite.*The Vostok rocket, used to launch the Vostok spacecraft....
. He reached the mouth of the Amur in September 1854 with the botanist Carl Maximowicz
Carl Maximowicz
Carl Johann Maximowicz was a Russian botanist. Maximowicz spent most of his life studying the flora of the countries he had visited in the Far East, and naming many new species...
. In February 1855 he visited Sakhalin
Sakhalin
Sakhalin or Saghalien, is a large island in the North Pacific, lying between 45°50' and 54°24' N.It is part of Russia, and is Russia's largest island, and is administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast...
and then explored the Amur in the spring and summer. In 1856 he returned overland to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, via Lake Baykal. He published his findings in his Reisen und Forschungen im Amur-Lande (1860). He was awarded the Konstantin medal by the Russian Geographical Society.
In later years Schrenck turned his attention to the study of the native peoples of Russia. On 10 November, 1879 he was appointed director of the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography in St Petersburg.
A number of animals are named after Schrenck, including
- Schrenck's limpet Notoacmea schrenckii
- Amur sturgeonAmur sturgeonThe Amur sturgeon is a species of fish in the Acipenseridae family. It is found in China, Mongolia, Russia and Japan.-References:* Sturgeon Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 3 August 2007....
Acipenser shrenckii - Manchurian Black Water Snake Elaphe schrenckii
- Schrenck's BitternSchrenck's BitternVon Schrenck's Bittern , also known as Schrenck's Bittern, is a small bittern. It breeds in China and Siberia from March to July, and Japan from May to August. It winters in Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Laos, passing through the rest of South-east Asia...
Ixobrychus eurhythmus
and a butterfly Apatura schrenckii:ru:%D0%9F%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B0 %D0%A8%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BA%D0%B0.