Ferdinand Ochsenheimer

Ferdinand Ochsenheimer (17 March 1767 – 2 November 1822) was a German actor and entomologist (lepidopterist).

Ochsenheimer was born and brought up in Mainz (then in the Electorate of Mainz) and began to show an interest in butterflies and moths in his early youth. At the age of twelve he was apprenticed with a saddler but when his intellectual abilities were recognized friends of his father's enabled him to study natural history at the university. On 16 September 1788 he received his degree of Doktor der Philosophie. He found employment as an educator with Stadtkommandant von Dallwigh in Mannheim, then with Baron von Reipelt.

In Mannheim Ochsenheimer wrote his first stage comedies (Er soll sich schlagen, Der Brautschatz). At the age of 27 he decided to follow a career as an actor and entered into Quandt's troupe of actors in Bayreuth. His first appearance was on 12 November 1794 as Flickwort in Gotter's Schwarzer Mann. After trying his hand in several fields – he was engaged as an opera tenor for a while – he finally committed himself to acting after successes as Gebhard in Portrait der Mutter and as Fallbring in Dienstpflicht. In 1796 he responded to a call from the Döbbelinsche Bühne (Döbbelin stage) in Stargard. On his way he stayed in Leipzig where he performed at the kürfürstliches Hoftheater (prince-elector's court theatre) as Fallbring and as Stepanoff with the result that he was immediately engaged. So after fulfilling his obligations in Stargard and in Frankfurt/Oder he came to Dresden in early 1797 and became one of the most popular members of an actor company that played alternately in Leipzig and in Dresden. In 1798 symptoms of stress and overstrain began to manifest themselves and his doctor recommended more exercise. Taking long walks in the country Ochsenheimer's interest in lepidopterology was rekindled "and without noticing it he had, in seeking recovery from one task, taken over another, not less laborious one." Around this time he made the acquaintance of playwright Friedrich Treitschke who was returning from Switzerland to Leipzig and who shared both his interest in acting and in lepidopterology. In 1801 Ochsenheimer played Talbot in Schiller's Die Jungfrau von Orleans (The Maid of Orleans) with Schiller attending the performance of 17 September and praising Ochsenheimer's accomplishment. He was now offered guest parts at most major theatres in the German-speaking countries.

...
Wikipedia