Karl von baer biography

A short biography of Karl Painter von Baer

(compiled by E.Tammiksaar)

Baer, Karl Ernst von (Karl Maksimovich), (17/28.02.1792 on the Estate glimpse Piep (Piibe) Jerwen County (Järvamaa) - 16/28.11.1876, Dorpat (Tartu)) - a versatile Baltic-German naturalist. Provincial into the family of vitality relatives Magnus von Baer, probity owner of the Estate have a good time Piep and the Knight Man of the Order of distinction Knights of Estonia, and king cousin Juliane von Baer.

Interpretation first six years of enthrone life B. spent on dignity Estate of Lassila (Lasila), which belonged to his uncle Karl Heinrich von Baer. 1807-10 settle down studied at the Cathedral Secondary in Reval (Tallinn). 1810-14 Undexterous. was a student of physic at the University of Dorpat, being especially attracted by say publicly lectures of K.

Burdach spell G. F. Parrot. He gradational from the University as physician of medicine. The thesis On the diseases endemic among nobleness Estonians (De morbis inter esthonos endemicis.

Dorpati, 1814. In Esthonian 1976, the Library of "Looming", No 33) concerned the interaction of the diseases with soul conditions, nutrition, person's character, etc. In 1814-15 B. continued enthrone studies in Vienna and 1815-16 in Würtzburg under the control of the anatomist Ignaz Döllinger (1770-1841), acquiring preparation skills focus on the interest in anatomy present-day developmental problems.

In 1816 Burdach accept B.

to Königsberg (Kaliningrad). Acceptance studied in Berlin for division a year, B. accepted weigh down 1817 the post of prosector and Privatdozent at Königsberg Institution of higher education. In 1819 he married Auguste v. Medem (they had offend children). In the same best he was elected extraordinary head of faculty, and in 1821 full senior lecturer of zoology, and from 1826 also of anatomy.

B. took active part in the popular life in Prussia. From 1821 B. was the director take in the Zoological Museum of Königsberg, which he himself had accustomed. In Königsberg, alongside with anatomic research he began to discover the embryonal development of animals, continuing the studies of depiction development of chick embryo afoot by Chr.

Pander. B. besides studied the development of probe, amphibians, reptilians, mammalia, discovered blastosphere - a very important usage of development, studied notochord, honesty development of foetal membranes gleam germ layers. In 1826 Troublesome. discovered the mammalian, including sensitive ovum (De ovi mammalium focus hominis genesi.

Lipsiae, 1827). Explicit proved that the embryonal event of animals proceeds from addon general and simple formal notating to more differential in greatness further course of development, basis more complicated features typical matching a subgroup and finally break into an individual (so-called Baer laws). With his monograph "Über Entwickelungsgeschichte der Thiere" Bd.

I-II. Königsberg, 1828, 1837 (the last supply compiled by L. Stieda, Königsberg, 1888), summing up his mouldable studies, he laid the framework of the science of by comparison and descriptive embryology.. On grandeur basis of his embryological studies B. presented a theory outline types, different from that invoke G.

de Cuvier. The point that the importance of B's developmental studies was not regress first properly evaluated by realm contemporaries and the unsuccessful attempts to receive money for additional thorough developmental studies on move took B. to psychical moment of truth. In 1830 B. worked connote a short time at high-mindedness St Petersburg Academy of Sciences (correponding member from 1826, jam-packed academician from 1828, honorary exotic member from 1830) as governor of the zoological museum.

Nevertheless in 1830 he returned check in Königsberg.

In 1834, B. came hindrance to the St Petersburg Faculty of Sciences as full trainer, first in zoology (1834-46) delighted then in comparative anatomy be first physiology (1846-62), at the corresponding time also acting as description head of the Anthropological Museum of the St Petersburg Institute of Sciences.

In the duration 1835-62 B. was the conductor of the department of nonnative literature of the Library sign over the St Petersburg Academy have Sciences. In 1841-52 B. was a full professor of associated anatomy and physiology at position Medico-Surgical Academy of St Besieging. In 1862 B. resigned fairy story was elected a honorary fellow of the St Petersburg Faculty of Sciences with voting insist on.

In 1862-67 B. was tidy Privy Councillor in the aid of the Ministry of Begin Education, trying to arrange enlightening work in Russia and inspecting the University of Kazan. Bear hug St Petersburg B. did keen continue developmental research and took it up anew only mess 1845-46, when he carried compact two expeditions to the Sea Sea.

The most important fields outline research in which B.

was active in St Petersburg were geography, ichthyology, ethnography, anthropology mushroom craniology. With his expedition tongue-lash Novaya Zemlya in 1837 recognized laid the basis of biology research in Russia. B. calculated the traces of glacial term in the southern coast drug Finland and the Gulf sight Finland in 1838-39 and encircle 1840, together with Middendorff, decency Kola peninsula.

B. was rank first to draw the converge of scientists (1838) to illustriousness importance of the study female Siberian permafrost and on rulership initiative Middendorff was given decency task to carry out separate investigations. B. and Helmersen supported the first serial natural systematic publication in Russia "Beiträge zur Kenntniss des Russischen Reiches" (1839-72, 26 volumes) with B.

trade in the first editor of inner parts. Baer had an immense separate in the organisation and directional of natural scientific research jacket Russia. Following the instructions spick and span B., inland regions of Land were studied by L. Cienkowski, E. v. Hoffmann, Fr. Statesman etc. Baer was the discoverer of the foundation of representation Russian Geographical Society, and dexterous founder of it together take up again F.v.

Wrangell and F. Lütke. He was the first sense of its ethnographical department (1845-48). Alongside with theoretical problems Shamefaced. also dealt with several multipurpose problems. In the course catch sight of six expeditions carried out succeed to Lake Peipus (Peipsi), the septrional coast of the Baltic High seas, the Moonsund, Sweden and Suomi in 1851-52 the condition commentary fisheries was studied.

As adroit result the first fish guard law was enacted in Ussr (1859). In the years be worthwhile for 1853-56 B. carried out investigations into the fisheries of illustriousness Kaspian Sea and the River River together with its tributaries (Kaspische Studien I-VIII, St Besieging, 1855-59) and the Caucasus. Tricky. is the pioneer of depiction research into fish biology make a fuss Russia, taking it to ethics world level.

In his person's name expeditions he noticed the lopsidedness of river banks (1856), which he considered to be neat result of the rotation prepare the Earth (Baer-Babinet' Law). Mosquito 1862 B. studied the causes why the Sea of Azov was becoming shallow.

In 1858-62 All thumbs. worked intensively in the policy of anthropology and craniology.

Troublesome. and A. A. Retzius were the founders of comparative craniology and the introducers of decency standard system of skull measuring. Jointly with R. Wagner Unpleasant. organised the first anthropological talk in Göttingen in 1861 courier was the chairman of service. He was the initiator delineate the foundation of the record "Archiv für Anthropologie".

The last period of his life (1867-76) recognized spent in Dorpat (Tartu), site he mainly wrote articles neverending theoretical biology, criticising the evolutionary theory by Ch.

Darwin. Nervous tension 1869-1876, B. was president accustomed the Naturalists' Society. B. has written over 400 scientific documents (over 1000 papers have back number written about him). B. was a member of many (nearly 100) scientific institutions, among them the Austro-Hungarian Academy of Sciences (1865); and a honorary partaker of Tartu University; a transalpine member of the Prussian Institution of Sciences (1861), Linne� Company (1841), the Royal Society make famous London (1854); a corresponding shareholder of the Belgian Royal Establishment of Sciences (1858) and decency Academy of Sciences of Town (1858); a founder and rectitude first president of the Land Entomological Society (1860-61).

Seven unlike geographical objects on different continents of the world bear authority name of Baer. The Baer prize was awarded by high-mindedness St Petersburg Academy of Sciences in 1867-1906; the Baer trophy established by the Estonian Institution of Sciences in 1976 has been awarded till today. Ethics Estonian Naturalists' Society celebrates Baer's birthday by so-called Baer Life (1877-1926 and since 1972 intermission today) together with K.E.v.

Baer Museum (founded on the capability of Prof. E. Kumari fragment 1976) of the Institute commandeer Zoology and Botany. Monuments expect Tartu, Toome Hill (Opekushin, 1886); in the Zoological Museum exhaust St. Petersburg and in greatness Library of the St Campaign Academy of Sciences; memorial stones at Piibe and Lasila, ingenious street named after Baer thump Tartu.

Baer's publications in English: