William Hillebrand
Encyclopedia
William Hillebrand was a German
physician
. He traveled the world, including over 20 years in the Hawaiian islands
. In 1850, Hillebrand lived at what is now Foster Botanical Garden
in Honolulu. He also became known as a botanist.
, Germany
. His father was Judge Franz Josef Hillebrand, and mother Louise Pauline Konig.
He studied medicine at Heidelberg
and Berlin
, and practiced at Paderborn
. He sought a warmer climate to recover from a lung problem, (perhaps tuberculosis
), first traveling to Australia
in 1849, and then the Philippines
.
Hillebrand then went to San Francisco and finally arrived in the Kingdom of Hawaii
December 22, 1850. He stayed for a little over 20 years and made significant contributions that endure to this day. He was able to speak the Hawaiian language
as well as German
, English
, Latin
, and French
.
He went into practice with Dr. Wesley Newcomb
, and married his stepdaughter Anna Post on November 16, 1852.
In 1853, Hillebrand purchased 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) of land from Queen Kalama, just a short distance from where he worked. He had a keen interest in plants, and over the years, planted a number of exotic and native trees in his garden.
Six years after his arrival, he and nine other Honolulu physicians petitioned to charter an organization called the Hawaiian Medical Society. Two months later, the petition was granted. Today, it is the Hawaii Medical Association. After the death of Thomas Charles Byde Rooke in 1858, he was appointed physician to the royal family of King Kamehameha IV
. Hillebrand also served as chief (and only) physician at the at The Queen's Hospital (now The Queen's Medical Center
), from 1860 to 1871.
The hospital was named after Queen Emma
, Dr. Rooke's adoptive daughter who was Kamehameha IV's wife.
In 1865 he was appointed to the King's Privy Council, the Board of Health, and Bureau of Immigration.
In April 1865 Hillebrand traveled to Asia
and the East Indies
on behalf of the Hawaiian government. He had three main goals: to find sources of labor for the sugar plantations, to learn about the latest treatments for leprosy
, and to collect and import plants and animals that would be useful to the Islands. Hillebrand wrote an article on leprosy
that was published in 1883.
Another European immigrant to Hawaii, Joseph Francis Charles Rock
(1884–1962) would continue Hillebrand's work of identifying Hawaiian species.
Hillebrand moved back to Germany in 1871. In 1877 he arranged for the first immigrants from Portugal
to come to Hawaii as plantation workers. For nearly a decade he considered returning to Hawaii. In 1880, he determined that would never happen, so sold his home to shipping entrepreneur Captain Thomas Foster and his wife Mary, who lived on an adjacent lot. Years later, Mary Foster bequeathed the land to the city, which opened it to the public as Foster Botanical Garden
in 1930.
He died July 13, 1886 in Heidelberg. He is the father of William Francis Hillebrand
(1853–1925), an American
chemist
.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
. He traveled the world, including over 20 years in the Hawaiian islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
. In 1850, Hillebrand lived at what is now Foster Botanical Garden
Foster Botanical Garden
Foster Botanical Garden, measuring 13.5 acres , is one of three botanical gardens located at 50 North Vineyard Boulevard, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA...
in Honolulu. He also became known as a botanist.
Life and career
Hillebrand was born on November 13, 1821 in NieheimNieheim
Nieheim is a town in Höxter district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.- Constituent communities :Nieheim consists of the following 10 centres:* Entrup* Eversen* Erwitzen* Himmighausen* Holzhausen* Merlsheim* Nieheim* Oeynhausen* Schönenberg...
, Germany
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...
. His father was Judge Franz Josef Hillebrand, and mother Louise Pauline Konig.
He studied medicine at Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, and practiced at Paderborn
Paderborn
Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
. He sought a warmer climate to recover from a lung problem, (perhaps tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
), first traveling to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1849, and then the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Hillebrand then went to San Francisco and finally arrived in the Kingdom of Hawaii
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
December 22, 1850. He stayed for a little over 20 years and made significant contributions that endure to this day. He was able to speak the Hawaiian language
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
as well as German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
.
He went into practice with Dr. Wesley Newcomb
Wesley Newcomb
Wesley Newcomb was an American Physician and malacologist specializing in land snails.-Life:Wesley Newcomb was born in New York 20 October 1808. His father was physician Simon Newcomb...
, and married his stepdaughter Anna Post on November 16, 1852.
In 1853, Hillebrand purchased 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) of land from Queen Kalama, just a short distance from where he worked. He had a keen interest in plants, and over the years, planted a number of exotic and native trees in his garden.
Six years after his arrival, he and nine other Honolulu physicians petitioned to charter an organization called the Hawaiian Medical Society. Two months later, the petition was granted. Today, it is the Hawaii Medical Association. After the death of Thomas Charles Byde Rooke in 1858, he was appointed physician to the royal family of King Kamehameha IV
Kamehameha IV
Kamehameha IV, born Alexander Iolani Liholiho Keawenui , reigned as the fourth king of the Kingdom of Hawaii from January 11, 1855 to November 30, 1863.-Early life:...
. Hillebrand also served as chief (and only) physician at the at The Queen's Hospital (now The Queen's Medical Center
The Queen's Medical Center
The Queen's Medical Center, originally called Queen's Hospital is an acute private non-profit hospital in downtown Honolulu founded in 1859 by Queen Emma and King Kamehameha IV.-Description:...
), from 1860 to 1871.
The hospital was named after Queen Emma
Queen Emma of Hawaii
Queen Consort Emma Kalanikaumakaamano Kaleleonālani Naea Rooke of Hawaii was queen consort of King Kamehameha IV from 1856 to his death in 1863. She ran for ruling monarch against King David Kalākaua but was defeated....
, Dr. Rooke's adoptive daughter who was Kamehameha IV's wife.
In 1865 he was appointed to the King's Privy Council, the Board of Health, and Bureau of Immigration.
In April 1865 Hillebrand traveled to Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
on behalf of the Hawaiian government. He had three main goals: to find sources of labor for the sugar plantations, to learn about the latest treatments for leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
, and to collect and import plants and animals that would be useful to the Islands. Hillebrand wrote an article on leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
that was published in 1883.
Another European immigrant to Hawaii, Joseph Francis Charles Rock
Joseph Rock
Joseph Francis Charles Rock was an Austrian-American explorer, geographer, linguist and botanist.-Life:He was born in Vienna, Austria, but emigrated to the United States in 1905 and moved to Honolulu, Hawaii in 1907, where he eventually became an authority on the flora there...
(1884–1962) would continue Hillebrand's work of identifying Hawaiian species.
Hillebrand moved back to Germany in 1871. In 1877 he arranged for the first immigrants from Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
to come to Hawaii as plantation workers. For nearly a decade he considered returning to Hawaii. In 1880, he determined that would never happen, so sold his home to shipping entrepreneur Captain Thomas Foster and his wife Mary, who lived on an adjacent lot. Years later, Mary Foster bequeathed the land to the city, which opened it to the public as Foster Botanical Garden
Foster Botanical Garden
Foster Botanical Garden, measuring 13.5 acres , is one of three botanical gardens located at 50 North Vineyard Boulevard, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA...
in 1930.
He died July 13, 1886 in Heidelberg. He is the father of William Francis Hillebrand
William Francis Hillebrand
William Francis Hillebrand was an American chemist.-Biography:He was the son of the renowned botanist William Hillebrand....
(1853–1925), an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
.
Awards and honors
- Two plants, Veronica hillebrandii and Phebalium hillebrandii are named in his honor.