Joakim Frederik Schouw

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Joakim Frederik Schouw
botanist

Joakim Frederik Schouw (7 February 1789 – 28 April 1852) was a Danish

botanist and politician. From 1821, professor in botany at the University of Copenhagen — first extraordinary professor, but after the death of J.W. Hornemann in 1841 ordinary. His main scientific field was the new discipline of phytogeography. He also served as director of Copenhagen Botanical Garden in 1841-1852. He was a leading figure in the National Liberal movement and president of the Danish Constituent Assembly
in 1848.

Early life

Schouw was born on 7 February 1789 in Copenhagen, the son of wine merchant Paul S. (1751–1800) and Sara Georgia Liebenberg (1761–1826). He studied law at the University of Copenhagen.[1]

Scientific career

He was already a

plant geography, e.g. by Wahlenberg and von Humboldt
. The first result of his efforts was a doctoral dissertation (1816): Dissertatio de sedibus plantarum originariis. In this thesis, he dealt with the question of Generatio aequivoca, that is the origin of species through continuous evolution, a view he advocated.

He was then given a travel grant to study

Frederik VI granted him an extraordinary professorship of botany at the University of Copenhagen
. In 1822, his most significant contribution was published:

  • Grundtræk til en almindelig Plantegeographie. Copenhagen, Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. German translation: Grundzüge einer allgemeinen Pflanzengeographie, Berlin 1823.

His later scientific contributions turned out to be rather meagre. He planned a great work and gathered material for it during two journeys to Italy. However, he never had time to continue his work. Together with Jens Vahl and Salomon Drejer, Schouw was the publisher of Flora Danica fasc. 38.

He succeeded Jens Wilken Hornemann as director of Copenhagen Botanical Garden in 1841-1852. In 1841, he was elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

The standard author abbreviation Schouw is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.[2]

Politics

Joakim Frederik Schouw

In the 1830s and 1840s, Schouw was one of the main leaders of the political movement that led to the first

Schleswig
.

He published Dansk Ugeskrift in 1831–36 and again 1842–46, followed by Dansk Tidsskrift 1847–50.

Personal life

LPeter Gemzøe: Susette Dalgas

Schouw married Susanne (Susette) Marie Augustine Peschier Dalgas, (1798-1844), a daughter of priest at the French Reformed Church in Fredericia Jean Marc Dalgar (1756–1811). They first met each other in her brother Christian Dalgas' home in Livorno. Schouw's travel companion, Henrik Stampe, married another Dalgas sister, Christine, who was also there at the time. The wedding took place on 24 April 1827 in Christiansborg Chapel in Copenhagen.[3]

H. W. Bissen's bust of Schouw outside the University of Copenhagen's main building

Schouw had an official residence in Charlottenborg after his appointnemnt to professor and director of the botanical garden in 1841. The botanical garden was then located next to the building. The lively Grundtvegian home was frequented by many visitors from the Danish world of culture, His daughter Georgia married the painter P. C. Skovgaard.

Schouw was a member of the Committee for the Establishment of

Thorvaldsens Museum and served as one of the executors of Bertel Thorvaldsens will and gift letter to the city of Copenhagen. He was also a board member of the museum.[3]

Herman Wilhelm Bissen created a bust of Schouw in 1851. A bronze cast of the bust was in 1856 installed outside the University of Copenhagen's main building on Frue Plads. It was the first sculpture of a non-aristocratic person in the public real in Copenhagen.[4]

He died on 28 April 1852 and is buried at Assistens Cemetery.

Honours

In 1896, botanist

monotypic genus of flowering plants from Northern Africa, belonging to the family Brassicaceae and named in Joakim Frederik Schouw's honor.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Joachim Frederik Schouw" (in Danish). Dansk Biografisk Leksikon. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  2. ^ International Plant Names Index.  Schouw.
  3. ^
    Thorvaldsens Museum
    . Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  4. ^ "Joachim Frederik Schouw" (in Danish). denstoredanske.dk. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  5. ^ "Schouwia DC. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 20 May 2021.

Sources

Christensen, Carl (1932) Joakim Frederik Schouw, pp. 100–103 in: Meisen, V. Prominent Danish Scientists through the Ages. University Library of Copenhagen 450th Anniversary. Levin & Munksgaard, Copenhagen.

External links

Wikispecies has information related to Joakim Frederik Schouw.
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