Christian Rudolph Wilhelm Wiedemann 2263956 197442340 2008-03-11T10:04:23Z Notafly 457080 '''Christian Rudolph Wilhelm Wiedemann''' ([[December 7]], [[1770]] [[Braunschweig|Brunswick]] - [[December 31]], [[1840]] [[Kiel]]), was a [[Germany|German]] [[physician]], [[historian]], [[natural history|naturalist]] and [[entomology|entomologist]]. He is best known for his studies of world [[Diptera]], but he also studied [[Hymenoptera]] and [[Coleoptera]], although far less expertly. ==Biography== Wiedemann’s father, [[Conrad Eberhard Wiedemann]] (1722-1804) was an art dealer and his mother, Dorothea Frederike (née Raspe) (1741-1804) was the daughter of an accountant in the [[Royal Mining Service]] and also interested in the arts. After his education in Brunswick, he matriculated in 1790 to the Faculty of [[Medicine]] at the [[University of Jena]] where he was a contemporary of the poet [[Friedrich von Hardenberg]]. While attending university, Wiedemann, was one of the many pupils of [[Johann Friedrich Blumenbach]], and travelled to [[Saxony]] and [[Bohemia]]. He obtained his doctoral degree in 1792 with a thesis entitled ''Dissertatio inauguralis sistens vitia gennus humanum debilitantia''. He then went to England to increase his knowledge of mineralogy. Appointed Professor of Anatomy at Brunswick’s [[Technische Universität Braunschweig|Collegium Carolinum]] in 1794, his inaugural address was about a medical condition observed in a boy at [[Llandeilo|,Llandeilo, Wales]]. It was titled ''Über das fehlende Brustbein'', English “On the missing breastbone”. In 1796 he married Luise Michaelis, the daughter of [[Johann David Michaelis]], an [[Orientalist]]. They would raise the two sons of Luise's brother, who died in a [[cholera]] epidemic. The couple had nine children of their own, two dying in infancy. He was later appointed Lecturer in his specialist field [[obstetrics]] In the late 17th century, there was a movement, based in Brunswick, to establish German as a scientific language. Able to read Latin, English, French and Italian, Wiedemann found remunerative work as a translator. In 1801 he received a scholarship for study in [[Paris]] from the [[Duke of Brunswick]]. Here he studied [[obstetrics]] and [[natural history]] and met [[Georges Cuvier]], amongst other zoologists. In 1802, he was, in addition to his other medical appointments, made Professor of Obstetrics at the College of Anatomy and Surgery and was nominated Privy Councillor at the court of the [[Brunswick-Lüneburg|Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg]]. In 1804 he contracted [[syphilis]] which had serious effects in later years. In 1805 he became Professor of Medicine in [[Kiel]] (then in [[Denmark]] and part of the [[Holstein|Duchy of Holstein]]) with the title Counsellor of Justice and, later Counsellor of State. These were difficult years for Denmark which had sided with France in the [[Gunboat War|Napoleonic Wars]] against England (and her allies) to preserve her maritime empire. Money was a problem and Wiedemann used his own resources to set up the midwifery clinic proposed as one of his duties as professor. In 1811 he travelled south to [[Italy]] for his health. From around 1814 Wiedemann devoted much of his time to [[Taxonomy|taxonomic entomology]] and in 1815 , on a visit to Bonn to stay with his daughter Emma who had married [[Karl Theodore Welker]] later a radical embroiled in the turbulent poloitics of the 1840s he travelled to Stolberg to meet [[Johann Wilhelm Meigen]] a, by then, well known entomologist through his important work on [[Diptera]]. Perhaps, not able to attend properly to his medical duties through ill health- he visited the spa town of [[Aachen|Bad Aachen]] in 1817- Wiedemann changed employment (to [[Pharmacology]]) and had several semi-honorary positions. With more time and sedentary, he prepared and studied insects and went on collecting trips for his health. He also gaves lectures on entomology And natural history. Wiedemann’s most productive work on insects was accomplished in the 1820’s. But when he attended a scientific meeting in [[Hamburg]] in 1830 this too was drawing to a close. His eyesight was very poor and he had a succession of strokes. Wiedemann main natural history interest remained entomology but he was also interested in [[mineralogy]] and [[conchology]]. In 1827 his collections included 5,000 minerals and over 3,500 [[species]] of [[Diptera]]. He is known to have visited [[Hamburg]], [[Copenhagen]] and [[Berlin]] in these years but nothing is so far known of these trips although they may well have been to further his insect studies. ==Achievements== Wiedemann published the first monographs on “exotic” (non-European) Diptera. He was the creator of the transitory review ''Archiv für Zoologie und Zootomie'' 1800-1806 (five volumes) 2,356 pages. Berlin and Brunswick and the ''Zoologisches Magazin'' (volumes 1-2) 1817-1823 749 pages. Kiel and [[Altona]]. Although he worked mainly on Diptera he also published descriptions of [[Coleoptera]] and (at least one) [[Hymenoptera|Hymenopteran]]. He was the successor to [[Johan Christian Fabricius]] as the author of descriptions of “exotic” that is non-European Diptera. [[Johann Wilhelm Meigen|Meigen]] worked only on the [[Europe|European]] species. His descriptions show clear advances, both over Fabricius and many of his contemporaries. A brief Latin diagnosis, a fuller detailed description in German, the sex of the specimen, locality details, a reference to the collection in which the specimen was to be found and, sometimes, the name of the collector. In Brunswick, then an important centre for entomology Wiedemann worked with [[Johann Christian Ludwig Hellwig]] and [[Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger]] setting new standards for descriptions (uniform terminology for structures and colour) and for nomenclature, especially in regard to the avoidance of synonyms by proper research of pre-existing literature. He was critical of [[Johan Christian Fabricius|Fabricius]] in this respect, although honouring him as a great entomologist In ''Aussereuropäische Zweiflügelige Insekten'' he described 1000 new and redescribed 500 old (mainly [[Johan Christian Fabricius|Fabrician]]) species. This work, supplemental to Meigen followed Meigen in introducing many new genera. He could have gone further than he did with “exotic” genera. He introduced too few of these but the full extent of diversity of world Diptera was not then apparent.The work includes descriptions of Diptera collected by [[Ferdinand Deppe]] in [[Mexico]]. Wiedemann, in his studies of the [[Johan Christian Fabricius|Fabrician]]) species was careful to consider only [[Johan Christian Fabricius|Fabricius]] specimens identified by their labels in Fabricius’ hand. This is at the core of the modern concept of [[Type (zoology)|type specimens]]. He made his studies as comprehensive as possible, studying the collections of [[Wilhelm Von Winthem]] and [[Bernt Wilhelm Westermann]] and studied the collections in [[Copenhagen]] , [[Berlin]] , [[Frankfurt]] , [[Kiel]], [[Leiden]] and [[Vienna]] . He also studied [[Thomas Say|Thomas Say’s]] borrowing these from the [[Philadelphia]] museum. He was unable to study the [[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnean]] and the [[Johan Christian Fabricius|Fabricius]] types (both in London) or visit [[Paris]]. Wiedemann's published work on entomology was almost entirely descriptive and notable for its accuracy. ==Works== *[[Georges Cuvier]], 1798 ''Tableau Élémentaire as Cüviers elemantarischer Entwurf der Naturgeschichte der Thiere, aus dem Französischen übersetz ind mit Anmmerkungen versehen von C.R.W. Wiedemann.'' Brunswick , 1800. The entomological part of this was translated and revised by [[Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger]].Translation. *''Über Pariser Gebäranstalten und Geburtshelfer, den letzen Schamfugenschnitt und einige andere zu Paris beobachtete Geburtsfälle''. Brunswick 1803. Medical. *''Unterricht für Hebammen. Brunswick'' , 1802. Medical – A Manual for Midwives. A Danish edition, ''Undervissung for Giordemødre'' was published in 1805. Expanded it was published as ''Lesebuch für Hebammen'', Primer for midwives in 1814. *''Anweisung zur Rettung der Ertrunkenen, Ersticken, Ehrängten, vom Blitze Erschlagenen, Erfrornen und Vergiftaten ; nach den neuesten Beobachtungen entworfen''. Brunswick, 1796 (Second edition 1804). Medical- treatment of accident victims. *With [[Karl Gustav Himly]] and T. G. A. Roose- ''Über das Impfen der Kuhpocken für besorgte Mütter''. Brunswick, 1800. Medical. Advice on [[Smallpox]] vaccination. * J. Stuve ''Lehrbuch der Kenntniss des menschlichen Körpers und der Gesundheitslehren''. Brunswick, 1805. Medical. Second revised edition of a standard textbook. *B. Harwood’s ''System der vergleichenden Anatomie ud Physiologie. Aus dem Englischen übersetzt und mit Anmerkungen und Zusätzen versehen von C.R.W. Wiedemann''.Berlin, 1790.Translation. *J. Méhée. ''Über die Schusswunden''. Brunswick, 1801).Translation. *[[Antoine-François de Fourcroy]] ''System der chemischen Kenntnisse''. 1801.Translation. *''Handbuch der Anatomie'' English Handbook of Anatomy.1796 (second editions 1802 and 1812) *''Übersicht der mineralogischen einfachen fossilien''.1800. *''Tabulae animalium invertebratorum''. 1810 *''Diptera exotica: sectio I.'' Kiliae: [s.n.], 1820. *''Munus rectoris in Academia Christiana Albertina aditurus Analecta entomologica ex Museo Regio Havniensi''... Kilisae: el regio typographeo scholarum, 1824. *''Aussereuropäische Zweiflügelige Insekten''. Hamm 1828-1830 ==Collections== Wiedemann's collection of Diptera and Hymenoptera was taken over by Wilhelm von Winthem who presented part to the [[Natural History Museum, Vienna]] (Naturhistorisches Museum, Wien) the rest to the [[Senckenberg Museum]] in [[Frankfurt]], [[University of Copenhagen Faculty of Science|The Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen]] (Zoologisk Museum, Københavns Universitet). Collection contents online [http://www.zmuc.dk/EntoWeb/collections-databaser/Diptera/dipterasites.htm] ==External links== *[http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/Diptera/wiedmann.htm Wiedemann Prefaces] *[http://www.michaelorgan.org.au/novara1.htm Voyage of the Novara] ===References=== *1995 Pont, A. C. The Dipterist C. R. W. Wiedemann (1770-1840). His life, work and. collections.''Steenstrupia Copenhagen'' 21(2): 125 - 154, i fig (Sammlungsverbleib) [11808]. *1996 Pont, A. C. ''Dipterists Digest'' 2(2): 49 - 70 [12117]. {{DEFAULTSORT:Wiedemann, Christian Rudolph Wilhelm}} [[Category:1770 births]] [[Category:1840 deaths]] [[Category:German entomologists]] [[Category:German physicians]] [[Category:German naturalists]] [[Category:Dipterists]] [[Category:People from Braunschweig]] [[de:Christian Rudolph Wilhelm Wiedemann]] [[es:Christian Rudolph Wilhelm Wiedemann]] [[fr:Christian Rudolph Wilhelm Wiedemann]]