Alfred Brehm
| Alfred Edmund Brehm | |
|---|---|
Alfred Edmund Brehm
|
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| Born |
Alfred Edmund Brehm 2 February 1829 Renthendorf |
| Died | 11 November 1884 (aged 55) Renthendorf |
| Nationality | German |
| Occupation | Zoologist, writer |
| Notable work | Brehm's Life of Animals |
Alfred Edmund Brehm (German pronunciation: [ˈalfʁeːt ˈɛtmʊnt bʁeːm]) (2 February 1829 in Unterrenthendorf, now called Renthendorf – 11 November 1884 in Renthendorf) was a German zoologist, writer, director of zoological gardens and the son of Christian Ludwig Brehm, a famous pastor and ornithologist.
Through the book title Brehms Tierleben, which he co-authored with Eduard Pechuël-Loesche, Wilhelm Haacke, and Richard Schmidtlein, his name became a household word for popular zoological literature.
Alfred Brehm was brought up in the small Thuringian village Unterrenthendorf as the son of the minister Christian Ludwig Brehm and his second wife Bertha. Christian Ludwig Brehm made a name for himself as an ornithologist by publications and an extensive collection of stuffed birds. The collection, held in the parsonage and consisting of over 9,000 dead birds, offered a glimpse into the world of European birds. His father's research gave Brehm an interest in zoology, but at first he wanted to become an architect. In the spring of 1844 he began to study with a builder in Altenburg. He continued his studies there until September 1846, when he left for Dresden in order to study architecture; however, he stopped after two semesters because Johann Wilhelm von Müller, a well-known ornithologist, was looking for a companion for an African expedition. Brehm joined the expedition on 31 May 1847 as a secretary and assistant to von Müller. The expedition took him to Egypt, the Sudan, and the Sinai Peninsula; the discoveries made were so important that, at the age of only 20, he was made a member of the German Academy of Natural Scientists Leopoldina.
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